After returning the ancient lamp, though he did not mention anything specific, the two ancient treasures—the purple chime cover and the floral basket—that had been taken away were returned to him when the Mulan sages delivered their materials. It appears these Mulan people clearly intended to settle in the southern lands for the long term, and as high-level cultivators, they naturally didn’t want to offend him. By returning these ancient relics, they also hoped to avoid any resentment on his part. After all, a cultivator of his age and ability was even somewhat daunting to the Mulan divinities. Once the treasures were recovered, Han Li presented the purple chime cover to Yin Yue. Although this woman could only use the artifact when appearing in her fox-form, she had recently achieved several notable accomplishments. Han Li, never one to be stingy, naturally wished to show his appreciation. The purple chime cover suited her well, making it an ideal reward. Perhaps due to the growing news of their alliance with the Mulan people, the sudden arrivals now found themselves hesitating. Although they dispatched a large number of cultivators to the outskirts of the grasslands, they did not immediately launch an attack. Instead, they quietly observed the actions of the Tiannan and Mulan peoples, showing no signs of trouble in the near term. Yet the more unexpectedly the Tutu people maintained this composed demeanor, the heavier the burden grew in the hearts of Zhiyang's Master and Long Han and the others. Their seriousness suggested they had grander intentions—likely aiming to ultimately challenge Tiannan. With this standoff appearing likely to be prolonged, the disciples of Tiannan's various sects could no longer afford to remain here indefinitely. Thus, after a brief discussion, they adopted a rotating system similar to the one established during the Nine Kingdoms Alliance. Each sect sent a contingent of elite disciples to take turns stationed near the border regions of the Mulan and Tutu states. Should either the Mulin or Tutu peoples face an attack, these dispatched forces could promptly provide support. Meanwhile, the other cultivators returned to their respective sects. As the Master of Luoyun Sect, Han Li naturally had a heavy workload, and his affairs with his senior brother, Lü, were particularly demanding, especially as most of the disciples had already He was finally able to escape and return to Luoyun Sect. Lyu Luo still had some matters to attend to and would have to stay a little longer. Han Li naturally began his journey back first. On the way, Han Li made no delay at all, simply using his Wind-Chariot to speed up, which cut his journey in half. However, once he entered Xi Guo, he set the chariot aside, not wanting to draw too much attention. Now, with this distance of over a hundred li, Han Li reached his destination almost instantly. As he saw the silhouette of Yunmeng Mountain in the distance, memories of Nan Gong Wan's graceful beauty flashed through his mind, and a look of joy spread across his face. "What's going on?" Han Li said, gazing at the silver-haired elder in the rarely known, secluded chamber of Luoyun Sect. His voice was steady, each word clearly spoken, and his face radiated the intensity of growing anger. Just upon returning to Luoyun Sect, before he even had time to reach his dwelling, he had been intercepted halfway by the silver-haired elder and brought here—to this chamber, filled with a cold, damp atmosphere. Here, Han Li was astonished to see Nan Yet at this moment, Nangong Wan had transformed into a young girl of about seven or eight, sealed within a wall of ice that exuded a steady chill. Her eyes were closed, motionless, unconscious—unaware of her surroundings. How could Han Li not be deeply startled and furious? "Ah! If my younger brother had returned half a month ago, this would have been entirely different. The incident involving Miss Nangong only occurred half a month ago. Had he been there, he might have been able to prevent it altogether. Fortunately, my sister-in-law is not in immediate danger. She has merely been struck by a magical sealing spell—the 'Sealing of the Soul'—which can only be delayed through this method." The silver-haired elder chuckled gently and explained slowly. "The Sealing of the Soul? How could Miss Nangong have received such a shadowy spell? This technique wasn't it lost in the southern lands years ago? Could it be…?" Upon hearing the elder's words, Han Li was momentarily stunned, then suddenly recalled something, his expression turning one of growing wonder. Noticing that Han Li seemed to have already grasped the significance, the silver-haired elder did not press further, but instead recounted in It turned out that on a morning several weeks ago, when Nangong Wan had gone, as usual, to a small mountain near her pavilion to collect celestial dew for refining the *Cycle Decision* cultivation technique, she had unexpectedly encountered a black-robed man. Without a word, the man immediately launched an exceptionally powerful magical technique, breaking through several of Nangong Wan's protective treasures in succession. Startled, Nangong Wan roared in alarm and desperately fled toward her pavilion. When the silver-haired elder and the disciples of Luoyun Sect arrived upon hearing the news, Nangong Wan had already been unable to evade the attack—she was gently touched on her forehead and brow by the black-robed man, and then collapsed. The silver-haired elder, deeply astonished, immediately led all his disciples in a coordinated assault against the black-robed figure. Seeing so many disciples now present, the man showed no intention of engaging in a direct confrontation; instead, he smiled coldly, dropped a jade scroll onto the ground, and then vanished into the air with a swift flight, leaving no one behind to pursue him. The elderly man, without hesitating, hurried to rescue Nan Gong Wan back into the sect and immediately began treatment. But upon examination, he discovered that Nan Gong Wan had been struck by the famed "Sealing of the Soul" spell—a rare technique that had long since been lost to the southern magical sects. Once forcibly implanted, this spell gradually seals a person's three souls and seven essences. The duration and intensity of the effect depend on the individual's cultivation level, with the souls slowly fading away under the seal over time, ultimately leaving the person as a mere shell of a living being. This method, originally unique to the magical realm and specifically employed to eliminate enemies, was indeed exceptionally cruel. Upon recognizing the spell, the elder was deeply astonished and momentarily at a loss, unable to devise any immediate remedy. Yet at that very moment, Nan Gong Wan unexpectedly regained consciousness. Though pale as a sheet, she immediately conceived a temporary solution upon learning of the "Sealing of the Soul" curse. She decided to employ a specific technique from the "Cycle of Rebirth" to temporarily seal herself with cold energy. This seal not only completely immobilized Nan Gong Wan's body but also significantly delayed the onset of the soul-sealing spell. Thus, the Nan Gong Wan who appeared before Han Li took on this particular appearance. After finishing these words, the elder reached into his robes and produced two jade-green and crimson scrolls, handing one to Han Li each. "One was left by the black-robed man who attacked my younger sister. The other was specifically reserved by my sister before she cast the sealing spell upon me, for my younger brother. Please take a look at that first," said the elder, sighing. Han Li, his expression grim, accepted the two scrolls and briefly examined them before turning to the one left by Nan Gong Wan. After a moment, as Han Li immersed himself into the scroll's essence, a mixture of concern and satisfaction appeared on his face. This surprised the silver-haired elder observing him closely. This jade scroll was specifically designated by Nan Gong Wan to be delivered to Han Li, and the elder had not taken the initiative to glance at it beforehand. After all, it would be quite easy to make minor alterations on the scroll, thereby revealing that someone had privately examined it—an unwise move, especially for someone of the elder's stature. As Han Li's powers have come to the fore and his reputation has grown, Han Li's standing in the elder's eyes has naturally risen to a level far beyond what it once was. Having finished reviewing Nan Gong Wan's scroll, Han Li took a deep breath and then lowered his gaze to examine the other, blood-red jade scroll. However, only a short while later, Han Li's expression grew increasingly gloomy, and eventually, in a state of intense frustration, he sharply clenched his hands—causing a sudden burst of purple flame to erupt from his palms. The scroll instantly vanished, dissolving into a stream of pale mist. The silver-haired elder, witnessing this scene, was somewhat startled. Though these jade scrolls were certainly not mere ordinary preparations, it was astonishing that they could be so effortlessly transformed into nothingness—something he himself could not achieve. It seemed the rumors about his younger brother Han had indeed been true. His abilities even surpassed those of a mid-stage Yuan婴 cultivator. He had truly secured a remarkable talent for Luoyun Sect. As the elder was silently struck by astonishment, Han slightly paused before speaking: "Program Brother, you've also met the one who launched the surprise attack, haven't you? Have you seen his appearance and cultivation level? Could it possibly be the same person I've been referring to?" "I've seen his appearance—he's quite good-looking, a well-proportioned young man. As for his cultivation level, he seems to have employed some spell or technique to conceal it. My own abilities are somewhat limited, so I couldn't discern it clearly. Nevertheless, he must be at least at the mid-Yuan婴 stage, or else he wouldn't have so easily defeated Nan Gong Daojun." The elder replied without hesitation. "Younger fellow?" Han Li's eyes flashed, showing some surprise. "Indeed! However, given his cultivation level, he must have also taken some rare elixir or practiced a unique cultivation technique that preserves youthful appearance—just like my younger brother. Yet he's actually older than my brother, which is quite remarkable, considering how rare it is for someone so young to achieve a Yuan婴 (immortal embryo) stage. After all, such a feat is truly uncommon throughout the realm. Still, my brother! I've reviewed the jade scroll he left behind. It specifically requests that you carry your Jinlei Bamboo artifact to see him at Xuan Tian Peak. Could it be that this person is indeed a magus from Jin State? Does my brother truly possess a precious artifact crafted from Jinlei Bamboo?" The elder couldn't help but ask. "Whether or not it's exactly this person, I'm not entirely certain. But even if it's someone else, they must be closely connected to him. There's no doubt that this individual is a magus from the Yin Luo Sect of Jin State. I originally believed they were seeking revenge for the casualties among my fellow disciples during the border battle. Yet it seems they've actually taken a keen interest in my Jin It seems I failed to eliminate their allies, and they will still come knocking. This time, however, I've inadvertently burdened Wan'er. As for Jinlei Zhen, the master of the bamboo法宝, he indeed has something of value. Han Li calmly delivered these words, his anger fading, yet the cold intensity in his eyes grew even sharper. "Now it makes perfect sense. With a treasure like Jinlei Zhen, specifically designed to counteract magical techniques—no wonder they've been so eager. Moreover, they're not our Tiannan cultivators, so they're naturally more unconstrained in their actions. How about this—I'll invite other close allies to join forces and jointly search for this person. I simply don't believe they can act with complete impunity within our Luoyun Sect's sphere of influence." The silver-haired elder was deeply annoyed by the black-robed figure's bold action of injuring members at the Luoyun Sect's mountain gate. This suggestion, however, came from genuine conviction.