"Go!" The Han giant roared. The stone seal spun swiftly, and the two flying swords transformed into crimson and white streaks of celestial lightning, rushing forward in unison with the seal's strike. Indeed, the stone seal proved no ordinary artifact—before it even made contact with the shimmering aura, a subtle rumble of wind and thunder could already be felt. Then, a thunderous roar erupted, shaking the heavens, as various streams of spiritual light instantly wove together, causing the ground nearby to tremble slightly. Da Han hummed, just about to speak, when suddenly the surrounding glows flashed with vibrant light, turning a deep crimson. The three were taken aback, still unsure of what had happened, when countless crimson clouds began to coalesce and swirl above the seal. A wave of intense heat instantly filled every corner of the glowing light. "What's going on?" exclaimed the man with the scarred blade, astonished and furious, "Didn't we say the seal was non-offensive?" But the other two had no time to answer his questions—by then, the clouds from above had already pressed down firmly and unrelentingly. Surrounded by the three, the group was now trembling with shock, each hastily activating their talismans to shield their bodies, then frantically pressing several spiritual seals onto themselves. A variety of protective shields flickered and illuminated across their forms. The bright crimson mist soon engulfed all three completely. A moment later, three sharp cries of pain rang out from within the clouds, followed by a sudden silence. A moment later, the fiery clouds dispersed on their own, and the霞 light faded and scattered, leaving the pile of rocks utterly empty. Only three divine artifacts lay upon the ground, their luminescence dimmed to the point of seeming lifeless, as though their spiritual essence had greatly diminished. Nothing appeared ahead, even when his spiritual awareness was scanned. However, under the full exertion of the Qingming Lingyan technique, Han Li observed a faint, blurred arc of light several feet long, shimmering with a weak glow about fifteen zhang ahead. Han Li took a deep breath, gradually dimming the blue luminescence in his eyes. His expression now became uncertain and fluctuating. Now he could be certain that the Lingmiao technique indeed could detect invisible spatial fissures that could not be sensed by spiritual awareness. This discovery had not been in vain—his extensive investment of spiritual essence in preparing and cleansing his eyes with Qingming Lingshui had finally paid off. Thus, his life in the Jumagi Valley was now well secured. The only issue was that while the Qingming Lingyan technique could detect such fissures, it required full concentration; otherwise, even a slight lapse might cause them to go unnoticed. The amount of spiritual energy consumed in employing the Qingming Lingyan technique was negligible. Yet if he joined forces with the southern Llong侯 and others, and if they noticed the unusual glow in his eyes, that would be a problem. He didn't want anyone to know he possessed such a divine ability. Han Li lowered his head and pondered, but soon became attentive. He then tapped his storage pouch, and instantly a shimmering green cloak appeared in his hands. This cloak was no ordinary garment—it was one of Han Li’s earlier war spoils, a top-tier spiritual artifacts. It had only one function: to conceal his face and prevent others from seeing his true form. Of course, this effect required continuous infusion of spiritual energy into the cloak, and the observer’s and the wearer’s spiritual levels couldn’t differ too greatly. Han Li estimated that, with this cloak, only Zhong’s scholarly gentleman and Wei Wuyi might still perceive the unusual glow in his eyes. All the other cultivators in the valley would be unable to notice it. With the cloak now securely worn, Han Li gave a calm glance at the faint spatial rifts still visible, and then vanished in a streak of green light beside them. ...Deep within a dense forest cloaked in towering ancient trees, a tall, ordinary-looking woman was gliding through the air at a low altitude. Though her appearance was unremarkable, her eyes were exceptionally clear and captivating, constantly glancing left and right as if searching for something. After a while, she finally passed completely through the forest and came to a halt at the edge of another grove, her expression now stunned. "It seems this isn't it either. There's no mark left by the Ghost Spirit Sect elder. He must be somewhere else. Yet, why did he first leave me to find the mark, and then wait for me for such a long time? Does he have another objective in the Fumagul Valley?" She lifted her chin, gazing into the hazy sky, murmuring softly, a touch of bewilderment evident in her bright eyes. Suddenly, her brows lifted slightly, and with a swift movement, she stepped back into the forest, then drew in her breath and stabilized her qi, casting several spells to conceal her trail. She settled silently beneath a massive tree, motionless. Three streams of colored light approached from afar, moving at a moderate pace, allowing the observers to clearly see within them three elderly figures flying in tandem. In an instant, the three lights reached the canopy of the dense forest. One of the silver-haired elders sensed something, glanced downward, and spotted the woman’s hidden spot, murmuring softly, “Hm? Does Cheng have any observations?” A senior figure with deeply lined face and purple robes suddenly asked. “None. Only a female cultivator at the Dan stage has taken refuge in the underbrush, appearing reluctant to be seen,” the silver-haired elder replied calmly. “Oh, such carefulness. Does the forest harbor some precious treasure?” the elder expressed, visibly intrigued. “No, Lin, don’t dream it.” There was not a single sign of restriction in this forest. The people below were merely named Jin Dan cultivators—still a female disciple—and to avoid us three elders in such a perilous place was entirely normal. We need not trouble ourselves. Let us focus on searching for treasures. Ideally, we should achieve something in the Outer Valley; otherwise, we’ll have to venture into the Inner Valley. "You're right, Brother Ou," the elder with a jade-like complexion said calmly. "We need not pay any attention to this young woman. Even if my speed is swift, I dare not exert myself fully here. To thoroughly search this entire Outer Valley would take far more than a short time. It would be better to make no delay." Though his opinion had been challenged, the purple-robed elder showed no sign of displeasure, merely smiled and agreed. The silver-haired elder nodded quietly, and the three of them swiftly passed through the dense woods. The female cultivator within the forest only stepped out carefully once the glow of their flight had faded. She gazed in the direction where they had gone, paused thoughtfully, and murmured to herself, "That silver-haired elder—seems to be his senior at Luoyun Sect. I didn't expect him to have come as well. Good thing it was only a mild scare." This woman, of course, was Zilin, who had changed her appearance and entered the ZuiMo Valley. Han Li and she had agreed that she should first search for traces of the Spirit Candle Fruit in the outer valley, and then, after a while, meet up with him to jointly seek out the fruit. Zilin had readily agreed at first, though she had always harbored some doubts about Han Li's condition. Yet, she knew this matter had no direct connection to her, and thus never pressed him for the reasons behind it. Now, having failed to find her target in this forest, she hesitated briefly, then activated her flight spell and sped toward the direction where the three elders had come. Above the dense forest, the elderly man with pale features floated motionless in the air, expressionless. The abbot of Gui Ling Sect, Wang Tiangu, and other disciples of Gui Ling Sect had vanished without a trace—no one knew where they had gone. Suddenly, a cry of surprise rang out from somewhere within the forest. Then, in the elder’s ears, a disciple’s joyful voice transmitted through the air: “Found! Right here.” The elder’s expression shifted slightly, and a ripple of black light surged through him, transforming him into a streak of dark iridescent light that shot downward. Upon hearing this, the others also exclaimed, “Where is he?” Moments later, the elder stood directly above the disciple, scanning the surroundings with a cold gaze. “Master Zhong, right here,” the disciple said respectfully, pointing to a large tree on one side. The elder’s eyes followed the direction of the pointer, and a subtle movement appeared at the corners of his brows. This tree was unusually shaped—its roots branched out widely, and thick lateral branches extended from both sides of its trunk. The massive tree appeared as though it were a giant itself. "Very good—likely it is this one. If indeed it is this tree, upon emerging from the valley, you will be rewarded handsomely by the gatekeepers." The elder nodded, speaking with a serious expression. Upon hearing this, the disciple was delighted and quickly thanked him. The elder then slowly descended, circling the massive tree twice before stopping at one side. After gazing at it for a moment, he raised his hand and, with his fingers, gently grasped the air in front of the tree. A thin stream of dark,阴 qi slowly emerged from the trunk and coalesced into a cluster, which then flowed into the elder's hand. "Indeed, it is here. Gather the others now." The Zhong surname elder finally broke into a smile and issued the command. At the same time, as time passed, the other cultivators entering the valley began to disperse gradually. While a few had specific intentions and were actively searching for something, most wandered aimlessly, hoping to make some discovery. Yet most people were disappointed—perhaps due solely to the outer valley—except for a few fortunate ones who managed to find remnants left behind by earlier monks. For the most part, during the initial period, they gained little. It was not as rumored, that treasures were scattered throughout the valley. Some eager or self-assured cultivators, who believed in their own strong abilities, began gradually moving inward toward the inner valley. To Han Li, however, the first day in the Fallen Demon Valley passed rather uneventfully. Throughout his journey, he made no effort to search for treasures. He simply followed the safest paths, avoiding areas where potential restrictions might exist. Though his progress was slow, he eventually reached the agreed-upon location with the southern Langhou侯 and gained a clear sense of his position within the valley.