Seeing the Han's such confidence in this seal, Han Li's eyes flickered several times. The elderly man named Ma shared the Han's concerns and furrowed his brows upon hearing this. "Actually, though this situation is somewhat troublesome, we need not worry too much," Han Li suddenly smiled, speaking with ease. "Oh! What does Brother Han mean?" Now, the Han could no longer ignore Han Li's words and hesitated slightly. The elderly man named Ma also looked at Han Li with a look of surprise. "The matter of Tiannan having infiltrated spies from Mulan—your chief surely must be aware of at least some of it. Perhaps they've already captured several such spies before. But having such high-level cultivators as spies is indeed a challenge to explain to Yuling Sect. However, since we three belong to different factions, it would be hard for most people to believe that we deliberately intended to harm Yuling Sect specifically. Therefore, we only need to clearly explain the situation and relay any additional information we've gathered about Mulan's activities. Let them verify it, and nothing major will arise. I suspect that the Yunling Sect itself may have harbored doubts about this elder Gu for some time now. After all, over these many years, this elder Gu has never shown any signs of inconsistency. I simply don't believe that. Moreover, even if they didn't suspect him before, reviewing his past actions carefully now would surely reveal some suspicious points." Han Li stroked his chin thoughtfully and spoke calmly. "Your reasoning, Brother Han, does indeed hold merit. I've used a secret technique to record our conversation and have copied it onto a jade scroll. This will serve as solid evidence as well." The bearded man relaxed his brows, suddenly waving a white jade scroll that he had been holding since earlier, his expression now strangely composed. "That will suffice. Unfortunately, Brother Bo is still in critical condition and is currently in seclusion, recuperating. If we could bring him in as a witness, everything would be even more convincing. The elderly man named Ma, upon hearing Han Li's words and seeing the jade scroll in the large Han's hands, sighed with relief, his initial concerns somewhat eased. Then, the three of them discussed a few details. Suddenly, from within the silver light shield, an eerie, hissing sound emerged. The three were startled, exchanging puzzled glances. As the bearded man prepared to take action, a tremendous roar echoed—then, a green, sharp claw emerged suddenly from the thunder and flame, striking the luminous barrier with lightning speed, causing the entire silver shield to tremble violently. "What in the world is this? He still has the strength to shake the seal!" the bearded man exclaimed, visibly stunned and hard-pressed to believe. Han Li and the elderly Ma also paused momentarily. Then, the bearded man pressed his palms together, forming a seal, and a beam of white light struck the shield's surface. Instantly, the dense network of lightning and flame within the shield ceased, revealing the inner workings of the seal. "Huh!" "As soon as they clearly saw the scene inside, both the bald man and the elderly man named Ma gasped in astonishment, and Han Li's expression grew serious. Gu Shuangpu had vanished completely, and in her place stood a creature half-human, half-creature—a serpent spirit. This being, neither fully human nor fully divine, wore Gu Shuangpu's garments. Her arms, legs, and exposed parts of her face were covered in shimmering jade-green scales. Her eyes were cold and eerie, her ten slender fingers gently tapping the ground with two long, several-feet-long serpent tails. The face formed by the scales on her face clearly resembled Gu Shuangpu herself. Yet, whenever her lips parted, a purple-black serpent tongue emerged, pulsing in and out, hissing softly, sending a shiver down one's spine. 'This is the Spirit-Enchantment technique!' the elderly man named Ma exclaimed, his face instantly pale, his voice trembling with urgency. 'The Spirit-Enchantment technique? Isn't it a lost art? If he has mastered it, then surely he need not fear being unable to enter the cycle of rebirth.'" The bearded man, clearly having heard the gruesome tales of Cai Huo Fu Ling, was equally startled and furious upon hearing the elder's words. Then, treating the situation as a dire threat, he fixed his gaze intently on the serpentine monster, and with one hand swiftly tapped his storage sack. A flash of light revealed a silvery sealing token floating in his hands. He expelled a surge of vital energy into the token, then tossed it upward toward his head, chanting a rapid series of incantations. At that moment, the creature within the light dome also moved. It cast a solemn gaze over the three figures outside the dome's walls, quickly flicking and contracting its serpentine tongue, then suddenly opened its mouth wide, extending past its cheekbones, and expelled a jet of dark purple liquid aimed directly at Han Li and the others. Upon seeing this, the bearded man halted his chanting, swiftly pointed at the token. The token emitted a burst of silver light, projecting over a dozen silver seals that swiftly vanished into the dome's light. A deep, resonant hum like a dragon's roar rose, and the luminous wall flashed with silver light several times before thickening an additional third. At the same time, countless silver lightning blooms—each now several times larger than before—began to coalesce and take form at the top of the light dome. The bald man stared in astonishment, quickly opening his mouth and launching a white, rod-like talisman that instantly expanded into a shimmering light shield enveloping his entire body. The elder named Ma reacted similarly, his face showing clear tension as he expelled his jade ruler talisman. After a burst of brilliant flashes, a radiant glow rose to form a protective barrier in front of him. Both were well aware of the formidable power a Yuan婴初期 cultivator could wield when employing spiritual attachment techniques—their spiritual prowess could nearly match that of a mid-stage cultivator almost immediately. Seeing such a monstrous being emerge, they naturally decided to prepare for a prolonged battle, aiming simply to avoid any setbacks rather than seeking decisive victories. Yet at this moment, a sigh of resignation came from the side, and Han Li stepped forward to act. He had originally been only a few steps away from the breach; with a slight shift of his feet, he positioned himself precisely at the very forefront of the opening. Just then, the serpent monster charged forward, its torso already extending beyond its body. Upon seeing Han Li standing in front of it, a flash of malevolence passed through its eyes—without a single sign of hesitation, it opened its mouth and expelled another jet of purple-black venom. "Watch out!" "Rapidly retreat, friend!" The bearded man and the elder, who had just witnessed the venom's potency, suddenly cried out in alarm. This wasn't due to any deep personal friendship between them and Han Li, but rather a shared sense of unity and mutual resolve against the common threat. Moreover, since the magical forces had not yet launched a full-scale assault on the array, neither wished to lose another high-ranking companion. Listening to the two's urgent calls, Han Li focused intently on the purple-black liquid rushing toward him, his face briefly expressing surprise. With a seemingly slow yet swift motion, he raised his hand, then curled his fingers—suddenly, a layer of glowing blue flame appeared across his palm, extending directly toward the venom. The bearded man and the elder were startled by this sudden display, while the spirit-bound creature paused momentarily, then immediately expelled another jet of venom without hesitation. Han Li's lips curled into a faint, barely perceptible smile, and a brilliant, dazzling blue glow erupted between him and the monster. A sharp "crack" resonated, followed by several flashes of light that then faded instantly. The bald man and the elderly scholar named Ma quickly blinked, then stared in astonishment. What they now saw left both of them motionless. The spectral creature, resembling a serpent deity, had just barely breached the luminous barrier, its face alight with exhilaration. Yet its entire body now shimmered with a crystalline radiance, transformed into a lifelike blue ice sculpture. The purple toxic fluid it had been spewing had solidified into a slender, elongated ice strip, strangely extending several feet from its mouth. Han Li had appeared behind the monster at an unknown moment, his hand—glowing with blue magical flame—only now slowly withdrawing from the creature's neck. "Indeed, this is a first-time spirit-attached monster. Though it possesses considerable intelligence, it lacks battle experience. Not to be feared." Han Li stared at the ice sculpture, speaking softly. Then, with a lift of his other hand, a thick golden arc surged from his palm and struck the sculpture, instantly transforming into a delicate golden net that enclosed it completely. The blue glow and golden light interwove and shimmered, accompanied by a series of cracking sounds as the ice sculpture crumbled piece by piece. Amidst the swirling ice crystals and blue radiance, a small, purple-black orb suddenly appeared, swiftly shooting outward—only to collide with the pre-positioned golden net. It emitted a high-pitched, inhuman shriek. Han Li's expression darkened momentarily, and with a firm closing of his palm, the golden net instantly contracted and tightened, then burst apart. A brilliant golden light surged forth, engulfing the purple-black orb completely.