On the western side of the Fumaguan Valley, upon a small hill composed of brown stone, an elderly white-robed sage sat in meditation, his face kind and serene. Standing before him was a man dressed in rich robes, crowned with a high hat, his long beard reaching to his chest. It was Lu Weiying, a senior disciple of the Tianji Door, and the Nanzhong Marquis. The Marquis stood about five or six zhang away from Lu Weiying, hands behind his back, seemingly composed and gazing steadily toward the distance, yet a subtle anxiety flickered in his eyes. "Nan Long Hou sighed, turned his head slightly, and said with a touch of resignation. "The Northern Yuan Guang is not so bad—we must rely on the Two Principles Rings to pass through. But is that fire toad beast truly that formidable? Otherwise, when we first managed to secure the rings, why did we have to bring this person along?" Lu Wei opened his eyes, unable to help but complain. "I haven't personally witnessed its strength myself. However, in the late master's will, he indeed described this creature as terrifyingly powerful. It would be best to find a cultivator whose techniques counter this beast. Otherwise, even if we manage to defeat it, we won't go easily—there's a good chance we'll suffer significant exhaustion. In such a perilous place, I certainly don't want to leave any further opportunities for others to exploit." Nan Long Hou furrowed his brows and explained further. "Brother Nan Long is quite right. It seems that after the incident in the Mulan Grasslands, you've become even more cautious and thorough. Nevertheless, I have come across references about the fire toad beast in several ancient texts." This ancient beast was not particularly renowned in ancient times. As described above, it should have been quite manageable. Yet since Master Ang Kun has mentioned this, it seems likely that the one in the valley might be a mutated fire toad. Lu Weiying paused to reflect and then voiced her judgment. "Mutated? That does seem plausible. Still, I believe the reason lies in the fact that this beast has no natural predators within the valley and has been thriving there for an exceptionally long time." Nan Long Hou did not fully agree with the elder's perspective. "By now, matters have reached this point—what further explanations will matter? The fire toad must inevitably be extinguished. The path leading to it is paved with the North Polar Primordial Light. Anyone unprepared will find it impossible to pass through. We need not worry about the ancient cultivator's remains being discovered by others first." Lu Weiying closed her eyes again, speaking calmly and thoughtfully. As Nan Long Hou observed the elder's composed demeanor, a faint smile played on his lips. Just as he intended to add something more, his expression suddenly changed, and he quickly turned to gaze upward toward the sky. In the distance, there was a shimmering of emerald light, and then a graceful streak of emerald hue drifted slowly toward them. "It's him, finally arrived," the Nanlong Marquis, familiar with Han Li's flight aura, immediately recognized the aura and beamed with delight. Upon hearing this, Lu Weiying quickly opened her eyes and rose to her feet. It seemed that though the elder from Tianji Men appeared composed on the surface, he too had been anxious all along. The emerald streak moved with great care, not quite swift, and it took some time before it reached their heads. As the emerald glow faded, a figure wearing a cloak emerged, gently floating above the two of them, bowing slightly as he looked down. "Is it Han, your friend?" The Nanlong Marquis, scanning with his spiritual awareness, was surprised to find it unable to penetrate the deep emerald cloak, and thus hesitated before speaking. "Is it possible that you've invited someone else besides me?" Han Li lightly chuckled, brushing his fingers against the cloak on his head. At the same time, his gaze shifted, fixing on the elder of Lu surname. Lu Weiying also noticed the oddity of Han Li’s cloak, yet remained composed. "Han brother is being overly polite. We’ve been waiting for you quite a while now," Lu said. Upon hearing Han Li’s voice, the Nansheng Marquis exhaled in relief. Though he found it strange that Han Li wore the cloak, seeing that Han Li seemed无意 to mention it, he decided not to press the matter further. These ancient seals each possessed extraordinary power and were utterly unforgiving. Without direct confrontation, they were relatively benign; but as soon as action was taken, they would invariably retaliate with full force. The original Master of the Celestial Kun initially believed his mastery of the array techniques to be strong, having devoted several days to studying it—yet ultimately gave up completely. While he wasn't entirely incapable of unraveling them, the sheer time required for a single person to achieve this proved excessively long. Later, through tireless effort and a fortunate series of coincidences, Master Kun discovered a hidden path crisscrossing the northernmost realm of Primordial Light, extending deep into the northern reaches. This passage was exceptionally concealed, rarely noticed by others; yet the Primordial Light within it was sufficient to annihilate any unprepared practitioner who entered. Now, with the Two-Principles Ring, entering the inner valley should be a matter of ease. After a brief consultation, Han Li and the two companions immediately took to the air, making no rest at all, and prepared to depart toward the inner valley on their flight. But as soon as they took off, Nanlong Hou slapped his storage bag once and produced several bells of different colors, each about an inch in size. He then attached them to his waist. Han Li stared in surprise, glancing at Nanlong Hou with a look of unexpected interest. "These are sensing bells. As long as there's a slight variation in spatial fluctuations at their location, the bells will automatically ring. Though they can't predict every spatial rift, they can certainly warn of most of them," Nanlong Hou explained to Han Li, noticing the curiosity in his eyes. Han Li nodded thoughtfully. The three of them then transformed into three streaks of light and sped off toward the center of the valley. The bells proved quite effective throughout their journey. Whenever a spatial rift appeared, the bells would immediately emit a clear, crisp chime, alerting the trio so they wouldn't accidentally collide into it. However, most of these rifts were either noticeable or relatively faint. The truly invisible spatial fissures—this bell still cannot alert to them. Han Li was so clearly aware of this because, on the journey, he had seen with his spiritual sight a concealed fissure not far from where the three of them stood, three streams of evasive light passing by it. Yet the bronze bell remained completely indifferent, showing no alarm. Observing this, Han Li now had a clearer sense of what to expect. As Nan Long Hou had said, having this bell did indeed bring great convenience. Nan Long Hou and Lu Weiying could now move more freely, their speed at least improved by a few degrees. Since the three of them were traveling and had fortunately not encountered any invisible fissures ahead, Han Li naturally needed no alerts, content simply to remain silent. Thus, the three of them proceeded smoothly and without incident. Half a month later, they arrived at a previously unfamiliar mountain range on the outer edge of the Inner Valley. This range of hills features several small peaks stretching continuously, forming a miniature mountain range spanning dozens of miles. Behind this range, a vivid crimson glow obscures the pale yellow sky, appearing strangely eerie. That is the Inner Valley. Those beams of crimson light are powerful protective spells—one must never provoke them; otherwise, even if one survives, one will surely be left with injuries. Nan Long, who had never seen such light before, immediately issued a clear warning upon witnessing the scene, as if he had long known the way. Han Li narrowed his eyes, observing the glowing lights with calm composure, showing no expression. Such an unusual sight would have prompted him to hesitate even without Nan Long's explanation. Indeed, the ancient magical cultivators here were quite interesting—having established one powerful spell after another within the Valley of Fallen Demons. He could not help but wonder what the original purpose of this valley had been, given its such rigorous defenses. Could it possibly have served as a prison or a fortress? For some inexplicable reason, Han Li found himself harboring this odd thought, only to shake his head and dismiss it with a quiet laugh shortly thereafter. How could any monster require such a vast valley as a prison? That simply defies logic. It's most likely an ancient magical stronghold of some former master of magic! Han Li mused to himself. At that moment, Nan Long Hou led the elder and Han Li into the upper region, and then flew directly toward the area between the two mountain ridges. Upon arrival, Nan Long Hou raised his hand, and the three of them came to a halt, gently settling onto the ground. With a quick glance at the scene ahead, Han Li saw lush grass, stone formations, towering trees, and climbing vines—everything appeared perfectly normal, as if nothing were amiss. "This is where it is. Originally, it should have looked quite different. However, when Master Ang Kun departed, he cast a spell that concealed the entrance, making it invisible. So, I'll first dispel this illusion." Nan Long Hou's face lit up with excitement, yet his voice remained calm. Then, he swept his sleeve aside, and a translucent jade pendant shot out from his sleeve, spiraling through the air before coming to rest at the peak of his head. A low incantation issued from Nanlong Hou's lips. With both hands forming gestures, he cast a series of colored seals toward the jade plaque atop his head. Each seal flashed briefly and was instantly absorbed by the plaque, leaving behind a brilliant white glow that trembled gently, emitting a clear resonant sound. Nanlong Hou then roared, and a vast expanse of white mist surged forth from the plaque, sweeping forward and engulfing everything in its path.