"Is the Nán Lǒng侯 connected with the Tian Jí Men? Yun, haven't you mentioned this before?" the elderly woman asked, her expression slightly perturbed. "Not mentioned before? Perhaps I've been negligent in this matter. However, my friend hasn't actually joined the Tian Jí Men. If either of you still has concerns, by all means, join our sect. Once you become a Senior Abbot of the Gui Ling Men, the Tian Jí Men won't be able to do anything to you!" The elder with the surname Yun smiled gently and spoke calmly. "Hmph! I'm already this age—there's no interest in any further constraints." The elderly woman scoffed and firmly declined. "I've always been laid-back; I'm equally uninterested in joining your sect," the man with the dark face said, his brows furrowed but his tone composed. "That's truly a pity! If either of you were to join our Gui Ling Men, it would be a tremendous boost to our sect's prestige. I don't insist, however. As long as the Nán Lǒng侯 is eliminated here, the Tian Jí Men won't truly come to the defense of a single deceased." Yet it's a pity that though I have known the Nánlǒng Marquis for over a hundred years, he has remained remarkably tight-lipped about the incident at the Fallen Demon Valley—sharing not a single detail. I do know, however, that within the hidden pavilion of this location, there exists a map from Master Cāngkūn, detailing the routes he took when entering and exiting the Fallen Demon Valley. If we follow this map, our journey will be safe and secure. Therefore, when I pursue him shortly, I will first refrain from destroying his true essence, and instead employ the Soul-Searching Technique to extract any further useful information. The elder did not grow angry at their refusal, but rather shifted the topic to speak of other matters. "What if, by chance, the map happens to be inside the jade box carried by the young man named Han? Then we may find ourselves in a rather difficult situation." Wang Tiangu expressed his concern. "That won't be a problem. We simply need to bring this matter to light, making it known to all sects in the southern heavens. Even without the cooperation of the Celestial and Demon factions, the Celestial Alliance itself will surely demand the map from him. Then we The Luoyun Sect, with all its modest stature, dares to claim the treasures of the Plum-Magic Valley all to itself—let us first see if it truly has such an appetite! Compared to that map, I am far more interested in certain details about the Plum-Magic Valley that are currently in the mind of Nanlong Marquis. Should these details become widely known, then not only would the method of entering the Plum-Magic Valley be revealed, but we would also gain a decisive advantage. Cloud Elder spoke slowly. "Should it truly prove unfortunate, then we shall have to settle for that. Nevertheless, before then, we might still attempt to secure the map from them by making some other exchange. After all, nothing in this world is beyond negotiation—even if they harbor enmity toward us." Wang Tiangu thought carefully and offered his opinion. "Heh! Brother Wang's suggestion is indeed more refined than mine. Yet, to be honest, this young man's abilities are truly extraordinary. He appears to be about the same age as Brother Wang, yet in terms of combat experience, he is far more cunning than even us seasoned elders—his tactics have even caught even You Friend off guard." As for single combat, I'm not sure I could have held him either," the elder named Yun exhaled, murmuring. "I asked Chan, and it seems this man was merely an ordinary disciple of Huangfeng Valley, with a cultivation level no more than Foundation Stage. Yet now he has suddenly advanced so dramatically, attaining such great abilities—I'm still unclear about that. However, if it weren't for his performance far exceeding our expectations and his constant disruptions, how could we have allowed Nanlong Marquis to escape so easily?" Wang Tiangu's eyes flashed with a touch of frustration. Clearly, he recalled how Han had launched an attack using the black mountain peak and ultimately deployed the Tai Miao Shen Jin barrier to block them. The elderly woman and others could only shake their heads in quiet resignation. "Speaking of this, let us first return and free You, our friend. With his Yuan-Infant stage cultivation, he should still have a chance. Moreover, I'm also somewhat concerned about my young nephew. The dark-red light sheet Han released just before he departed—seems remarkably similar to the one I've been cultivating, the Magic Blood Cut!" "Is there any serious issue?" Wang Tiangu continued to suggest. "That sounds good—since we can't currently sense them, let's go back and check things out first. Once my southern Lóng friend's secret technique fails, we'll still have time to pursue them." The elderly man with the Yun surname agreed. Immediately, the group once again ascended on their flight lights and entered the passage. In a moment, they arrived at the ruins of Yu Ji Ge. There, Yan Ruoxian was half-squatting, looking utterly at a loss, while Wang Chan lay motionless on the ground nearby. "What's going on? Has Chan been struck in the vital area?" Wang Tiangu asked, his voice suddenly sharp. Rarely had he sounded so composed at this moment. "No, but something's wrong with my husband's leg," Yan Ruoxian hesitated, her face showing a touch of anxiety. Wang Tiangu hurried forward and examined him. Upon doing so, his brows furrowed tightly. To the astonishment, Wang Chan's two legs were severed right at the level of the knees, and beside her lay two separate lower limbs, yet astonishingly, not a single drop of blood had been spilled. "I have already combined my efforts with my husband to summon the Blood Spirit's protective blood mist, but I have no idea what secret technique he employed. Not only did he move with incredible speed, arriving at our side in an instant, but the blood mist proved completely ineffective. My husband managed to leap halfway and narrowly avoided a transverse slash, yet his legs—well, they're gone." Yan Ruyan explained with a touch of resignation. "Given that, why haven't you cast a spell to immediately reattach and reconnect Chan's limbs? You should be familiar with this technique," Wang Tiangu asked, still in a somber tone. "I've tried several methods for limb regeneration, yet for some reason, none of them have worked at all—no connection could be made. Though no blood has flowed from the severed ends, a dark vapor has gathered at the wound sites and refuses to dissipate. It seems this very presence is preventing the spell from taking effect, which is also why my husband has now lost consciousness." "Yan Ru Xian locked her brows, hesitating uncertainly... "Ah, that's quite possible. With the two of you working together and the Blood Spirit's protection, how could ordinary attacks possibly harm you? Let me take a closer look!" Wang Tian Gu's expression softened as he focused intently on Wang Chan's wound. Indeed, at the site of Wang's broken leg, a faint black aura was clearly visible, shimmering subtly. Wang Tian Gu raised his hand, and the tips of his five fingers flashed with black light, gently brushing against the evil energy. Instantly, a black orb the size of a soybean materialized at the tip of his finger. He had initially intended to simply use his true flame to burn away this evil energy, but then suddenly thought again, and with a swift motion, he tapped his waist, producing a small vial in his hand. He enclosed the pale black orb in spiritual energy and gently pushed it into the vial's mouth. With a "whoosh," the evil energy was drawn in and carefully sealed within. It seems Wang Tian Gu plans to study this substance further, in order to better understand Han Li's cultivation techniques. Wang Tiangu didn't notice that, when she saw this situation, Yan Ruqian's face briefly showed a complex expression, before quickly returning to its usual composure. Once Wang Tiangu had also removed the evil energy from the other leg, Yan Ruqian silently aligned the severed limbs with the wounds and began casting spells to reattach them. Only then did Wang Tiangu nod contentedly and turn to walk away. There, the elderly man with the cloud surname and others were gathered around the ice statue of the Yu surname cultivator, gazing at it in quiet astonishment. "How is it, the rest of you still not acting to unseal it?" Wang Tiangu asked, somewhat puzzled. "Unseal it? How exactly? We didn't expect this to be so potent and insidious as we had imagined!" The elderly woman's eyes flashed with a hint of fear as she murmured. The man with the cloud surname remained silent, his face grave, standing still. "What does that mean?" Wang Tiangu said aloud, yet upon glancing at the ice statue, he revealed a thoughtful expression, as if already sensing the truth. "Brother Wang, please observe." The black-faced man suddenly raised one hand, making a casual gesture toward the ground, then swept his arm toward the ice statue. A fragment of jade the size of a clenched fist shot forth directly. With a crisp "thud," a flash of blue light appeared—upon touching the surface of the ice statue, the jade instantly melted into a blue ice, then shattered into countless shimmering shards, vanishing completely. The black-faced man's actions were not yet finished. Standing a few paces away, he extended a single finger and lightly tapped it. A stream of vibrant white true fire erupted from his fingertip and swept across the blue ice. As soon as the fire touched the blue ice, a similar flash of light occurred, and the fire instantly disappeared, as if absorbed entirely. Wang Tiangu drew in a sharp breath. "This blue ice is truly formidable. It seems that You Dao's vital essence has already perished—there's no point in preserving it anymore. We can only now facilitate You Dao's prenatal spirit to extricate itself, and upon our return, seek a suitable body to repossess it. Has You Dao never previously utilized the opportunity of body-replacement before?" The elderly man named Yun sighed and suddenly asked, "No—this very body is the one he originally possessed." The broad-faced man seemed more familiar with the cultivator of the You surname, speaking calmly. "That's good. Then, let the cultivator named You proceed with his Yuan-Infant transcending now," said Yun, nodding. But by then, it was too late—the Yuan-ying of the You-family cultivator struck the blue ice solidly. A scene that made the cultivators present shiver with cold suddenly unfolded. The seemingly powerful red and white flames, upon touching the ice walls, seemed as though ignited something within. Instantly, all the ice walls burst into fierce flames, transforming into a vibrant blue flame that swiftly engulfed both the red and white flames and the Yuan-ying itself. The red and white flames were transformed into the strange blue flame within moments, and the Yuan-ying emitted a piercing, agonizing cry. It then surged wildly toward the sky, but only after flying several dozen paces did it begin to roll and writhe desperately in the blue flame, moaning in distress. After a while, the cries abruptly ceased. The Yuan-ying was gradually refined into a sphere of white light, which then dispersed completely. Thus, the You-family cultivator vanished entirely—both body and spirit—no trace remained.