Merely this is not enough. As the two southern Lóng侯 stood closely observing, the body of the fire toad, whose head had been severed, suddenly emitted crimson streaks of light from its neck. Meanwhile, the floating head of the fire toad, on the side, sent out two such streaks that continuously lengthened and intertwined, gradually drawing closer to each other. "A body that never perishes! Does this fire toad truly possess such a divine aptitude?" exclaimed Southern Lóng侯 in astonishment. The elderly Lu氏, likewise startled, soon grew equally amazed. "Never-perishing? What in the world is truly imperishable? It's merely that its vitality is stronger than that of ordinary beasts." Having studied numerous classic texts, Han Li naturally understood what was meant by "a body that never perishes." Even after cutting off the fire toad's forelimbs, he had noticed the unusual qualities of the severed limbs and had begun to suspect something. Thus, he had timely intervened to prevent Southern Lóng侯 from hastily breaking the seal. Otherwise, if the fire toad managed to revive and escape during that moment, Han Li would have been completely wasted in his efforts. But now Han Li coldly smiled, pointing at the great sword that had severed the fire toad's head. The sword spun gracefully in the air, then suddenly split into two, unfolding into two beams of golden light that shot downward simultaneously. A flash of blue light passed through, followed by two crisp sounds—"thud," "thud." The fire toad's head and body were instantly frozen into ice sculptures by the sword's icy flames, sealing within them the crimson light streaks. Then, struck by the sword's impact, they shattered into scattered shimmering points, dancing through the sky. At the site where the body broke, a round crimson orb the size of a thumb remained—none other than the fire toad's spirit essence! Upon seeing the spirit essence revealed, Nan Long Hou and the elderly man with the Lu surname exchanged glances, each reading a spark of interest in the other's eyes. After all, it was the spirit essence of an ancient, immovable beast—perhaps possessing some special powers. Yet, recalling Han Li's earlier feats and his growing reputation, both men instantly silenced their lingering excitement. After all, these two were quite aware of it. Han Li's abilities undoubtedly surpassed theirs. Even together, they could only stand a fair chance against him, with the outcome likely to be a close contest. To part ways over an unknown ancient beast's immortal essence seemed to them a mere waste of effort. Indeed, opportunities within the Falling Demon Valley were still abundant. Though Han Li lacked the art of reading hearts, he had already deduced their inner thoughts with remarkable clarity. During the recent battle against the fire toad, as both of them, being Yuan-Enlightened cultivators, had clearly exerted only partial effort—almost entirely relying on Han Li's own prowess to defeat the creature—his vigilance had naturally intensified. He now kept a heightened watch over them, anticipating that at any moment, their judgment might falter and they might make a clumsy move. Now, upon observing their faces briefly altering, only to return to normal almost instantly, Han Li felt a sense of relief. Though he was not afraid to fight these two, he preferred not to engage in physical combat or risk any danger if possible. Immediately, Han Li extended his hand toward the water curtain and summoned the crimson immortal embryo, which shot forth with a sudden "whoosh" and landed in his palm. The two flying swords then emitted a clear chime, then dissolved into dozens of smaller swords, which flew back and disappeared into his sleeves. Han Li looked down at the crimson embryos now in his hands, exhaled deeply, and felt a sense of relief—his primary objective for this journey had finally been achieved. At that moment, Nan Long Hou suddenly smiled and spoke. "This success in eliminating the fire toad is largely due to Fraternal Friend Han. However, I believe it would be worthwhile for us to visit the creature's lair now. I'm sure Brother Han is also eager to examine the treasures left behind on the remains." "Of course," Han Li replied, gathering the embryos and nodding calmly. The Lu-named elder, hearing their conversation, beamed with satisfaction. Then, the three of them collected the nearby magical arrays and proceeded directly toward the cave beneath the great peak. To be honest, Han Li hadn't completely ruled out the idea of quietly releasing Yin Yue into the cave to search for treasures first. However, these two were seasoned and shrewd—always keenly observing Han Li, and their magical prowess surpassed his. If Yin Yue were released without any cover, they would surely detect her presence through their divine awareness. Moreover, the ancient cultivator's remains seemed somewhat unusual, and Han Li himself had other concerns. Thus, after a brief consideration, he decided against it. "Nanlong Hou gently settled his smile, remaining composed and speaking calmly. Han Li and the elder naturally agreed without hesitation, and the three of them instantly soared over the molten rock lake, directly arriving before the stone platform on the opposite side. Standing about three or four zhang away from the platform, Han Li examined the skeletal remains once more, his expression growing slightly thoughtful. Nanlong Hou and the elderly man from Lu's family, however, did not hesitate—once they had stabilized their stances, they immediately extended their spiritual awareness outward, aiming to pinpoint the exact location of the treasure. Seeing this, Han Li gave a slight upward curve to his lips, his expression one of quiet amusement, yet said nothing. Having long known the peculiar nature of that ancient robe, he was not at all eager to rush the experience to these two. Indeed, as soon as their spiritual awareness reached out toward the skeletal remains, a soft, misty glow emanated from the robe, instantly reflecting and repelling their awareness. Neither Nanlong Hou nor the elder, who had never encountered such a phenomenon, could help but exclaim in surprise. 'Hm! This robe seems rather unusual.'" Lu Wei Ying looked surprised, murmuring, "Nothing at all—just a robe made of young silkworm silk. It's woven from the silk of ancient spiritual silkworms and can shield against cultivators' spiritual probing. Though rare in today's cultivation world, it was once a common item during the ancient times." Nan Long Hou regained his composure and spoke calmly. Then, with one hand, he reached out and grasped the space before him. As the robe trembled, it instantly transformed into a shimmering sheet of green light, detaching from the bones and floating into Nan Long Hou's hands. Thus, the bones themselves were now clearly revealed—nestled upon the skeletal structure was a small, compact, dark-brown leather satchel. "Indeed, there's a storage bag!" the elder with the Lu surname beamed with delight. Nan Long Hou, equally excited, casually tossed the green robe aside and fixed his gaze steadily upon the dark storage bag, not blinking once. Yet, the originally composed Han Li's face slightly tightened upon hearing the sound of the green robe settling, before quickly returning to its calm expression. "If both of you are at ease, then I shall go and inspect the contents of the storage bag. What do you think?" With the atmosphere suddenly tense, Nanlong Marquis smiled warmly at Han Li and the elder, then suddenly proposed. "Of course. Let Nanlong go and take a look." Han Li glanced at the leather bag, smiled lightly in reply. The Lu-family cultivator hesitated slightly before also nodded in agreement. Thus, Nanlong Marquis stepped forward, carefully picked up the storage bag, and with a brief sweep of his divine awareness, scanned its contents, his expression remaining unchanged. "Nanlong, what exactly is inside? Could you please bring it out so we may all see?" Lu Weiying, seeing this, couldn't help but remark. Upon hearing this, Nanlong Marquis nodded, then with a single hand motion, flipped the storage bag so that the opening faced downward, and a soft, white mist immediately spilled out. A large number of items materialized on the ground. "What in the world is this?" the elder exclaimed, startled upon seeing them clearly. But it seemed more like a half-finished product that had been specially treated. Han Li furrowed his brow, expressing some uncertainty. "Calling it a half-finished product isn't entirely off the mark. If my guess is correct, these iron blocks are likely the famed 'spirit materials' mentioned in the legends. These are special substances used by ancient cultivators to forge ancient treasures. It's said that the method of creating spirit materials is quite unique—typically involving rare materials combined with the power of heaven and earth. Given that this ancient cultivator aims to craft a powerful fire-based ancient treasure, it makes sense that he would bring so many such materials along." Surprised, Nan Long Hou paused briefly before clearly explaining the origin of these iron blocks. Upon hearing the term 'spirit materials,' Han Li immediately recalled the name from the ancient text he had read. After a moment of reflection, he arrived at the same information as Nan Long Hou—indeed, a rare material used in forging ancient treasures, and one that, when used, produces ancient treasures of exceptional power. The elder Lu, upon hearing this explanation, showed little interest. His gaze swept over the other treasures before settling on the jade box and the vial of medicine. At that moment, Nan Long Hou raised his hand and tossed the bundle in his hand toward the group. Han Li instinctively caught it, paused momentarily, then immediately grasped the intent behind the gesture. Without hesitation, he weighed the bundle in his hands, swiftly scanned its contents with his divine awareness, and then tossed it back to the elder Lu. After a brief inspection, the elder nodded, confirming everything was satisfactory, and then set the bundle down on the ground. "How shall we divide these treasures?" Lu Weiying's lips moved slightly, finally voicing the question that had been on his mind most deeply, his expression now serious.