This so-called "thing"—well, calling a corpse a "thing" wasn't exactly out of place. Standing before the young man's lifeless body on the ground, Han Li murmured a few words to himself. It wasn't his doing. When he had tried to revive the youth and inquire about the journey of these Da Jin cultivators, the young man had already turned bluish-purple, having taken poison and committed suicide. Clearly, the youth had been deeply resentful, knowing his fate was sealed, and thus had taken a potent dose of poison before stepping forward to fight. Once captured, he would no longer suffer the agony of soul refinement or similar trials. Yet the speed at which his spirit had vanished suggested that he had also taken additional measures. Han Li shook his head, feeling both amused and a bit helpless. If the young man knew that he had originally been salvageable, only to miss the chance due to his own suicide, he would surely be astonished. Still, Han Li had never met the young man before, so he didn't feel any special connection or emotion. With a simple shot of a small flame, the young man's body was instantly turned to ash. A moment later, the magic cloud returned, and the second immortal essence emerged, holding a black banner. With a gentle wave of the banner, a fierce wind swept through, gathering all the magical energy into the banner. The banner then spiraled and shot toward Han Li's forehead, vanishing instantly upon entering. Han Li then glanced around, noticing that the suddenly arrived ordinary villagers stood far away, gazing at him with hesitation. "All right. We can't stay here any longer. Come with me. Before your poison takes full effect, I'll need to tell you the location of the hidden cave." Han Li said calmly to the carriage. "I didn't know you were a senior disciple of Yin Luo Sect! That explains it—how you managed to easily defeat Feng Zhen, the old rogue, and even secure such a rare elixir, the Hou Yuan Dan." The carriage curtain was slowly drawn aside, and Feng Yue stepped out, wearing a cloak, his voice now noticeably different, tinged with a touch of excitement. "Hehe! A senior disciple of Yin Luo Sect." We'll talk about that later. Let's go." Han Li sneered, then immediately released a flying sword, riding the artifact into the sky. Feng Yue hesitated slightly before finally following without further delay. Instantly, the two figures' streams of light moved forward and backward, gradually receding until they vanished at the horizon. At that moment, the ordinary people from the Tu Wu clan, who had been hesitant, finally gathered courage and returned to the caravan. Upon meeting the leaders, each one exchanged puzzled glances and offered a helpless smile. Their hired immortals had either died or left, and they still had no clear understanding of what had actually happened. Several days later, the incident finally became known. With several immortals—though all of them low-ranking—dying, it was no small matter, especially since some of them were directly involved in business dealings between the Tu Wu clan and the Temple, and were from the Great Jin sect. This could no longer be treated as a mere incident. Some of the celestial masters from the temples hastened to arrive upon hearing the news. After a thorough inquiry and analysis, they finally identified the murderer—none other than a foreigner who had recently slain several cultivators at the Yuan Ying level. Through the testimony of ordinary villagers who had witnessed the incident, the foreigner’s identity now seemed clearly established: he was the senior master of Yin Luo Sect, one of the Ten Great Mage Sects of the Great Jin Dynasty. Given that this revelation came from a cultivator whose own sect had been completely destroyed, it is likely accurate. Moreover, how could the sudden arrivals have failed to recognize the renowned prestige of Yin Luo Sect’s signature treasure, the Gui Luo Fan? This news sent a wave of apprehension through the celestial masters who had participated in the national interception campaign. It appeared that during the previous great battle, this senior master had not yet fully deployed his strength—his most precious treasure, the Gui Luo Fan, had not even been used. Yet, possessing such extraordinary abilities and wielding the Gui Luo Fan, he must surely rank among the most prominent figures within Yin Luo Sect. As for why he had appeared on the grasslands and launched such a decisive assault on them, however, it was precisely this that caused a After all, during the holy war decades ago, the shadow of Yin Luo Sect was clearly evident behind the rival Muran people. Could it be that this Yin Luo Sect elder, having witnessed Muran's defeat, has deliberately come deep into the grasslands this time—either to avenge their losses or to pursue some other agenda? This seems to be the only plausible explanation. With a somewhat tenuous rationale now established, the Turu people finally felt much more at ease. After all, no matter how formidable their enemies, once their origins and intentions were known, they would be far more manageable. Thus, on this occasion, a spiritual awakening ceremony led personally by a holy nun at a certain temple concluded in a hurried manner within just two days. One day later, in a well-guarded sanctuary situated behind the temple, over a hundred high-ranking immortals of the Tūhū people, after bathing and observing a period of abstinence, gradually appeared at this location. At the center stood a slender woman dressed in silver robes, her face veiled in a white silk scarf that covered most of her jade-like complexion. Her long, jet-black hair cascaded down her shoulders, her skin as soft and snowy as butter, and her eyes clear and dreamy, captivating and breath-taking. On one side was a young man with a refined countenance, seemingly only in his thirties, yet his gaze carried an air of profound weariness and depth. On the other side stood a plump, graceful woman of striking beauty, dressed in yellow robes with a strange, purple silk hair flowing down her back. On each of her exposed arms, a large, dark, ghostly head, the size of a clenched fist, was firmly biting into the flesh—yet she moved with effortless grace, her eyes sparkling with serene beauty, showing no sign of pain. "Ladies and gentlemen, please don't bother with formalities. This summoning ritual is not only aimed at eliminating that foreign guest, but also marks the first attempt to permanently house the sacred beast's avatar within the temple. We sincerely hope each of you will give your full support to the Palace. To ensure a successful outcome, the two senior masters have devoted over ten years of effort in searching for the perfect sacrificial offerings. Now, it is time for the two of them to present the offerings." With a graceful turn, the woman in silver robes spoke in a voice as melodious as a heavenly chime, her words clearly and distinctly reaching every listener in the hall. To the sight, teams of colossal bronze figures, each standing two zhang tall, advanced from either side of the square. Each team comprised eight figures, their bodies gleaming with golden light, slowly carrying a massive wooden platform toward the center of the square. On the platform, something enormous and imposing seemed to be subtly resting. "This young Qingfeng Buffalo and Bingjia Python are indeed rare wild-born creatures, perfectly suited for sacrificial use. Whether the divine beast's incarnation can truly remain in the human realm will depend on the clan's fortune. Let the ceremony begin," the silver-robed woman said calmly, her gaze as clear and composed as autumn water, sweeping over the gathered assembly. Then, with a graceful lift of her hand, she gently waved toward a colossal beast upon the wooden platform. A cascade of silvery threads shot forth from her hand, instantly branching into hundreds of silver cords that tightly bound the creature. With a shimmer of silver light, the massive buffalo's body gently lifted and began to move slowly toward the altar. At this moment, the once-unconscious Qingfeng Buffalo stirred and awoke. Seeing the scene unfold, it immediately sensed something amiss and trembled violently, striving to rise. Yet, it was already under several powerful seals, compounded by the hundred silver chains that held it fast—how could it possibly move? It could only watch in growing shock and fury as its body was suspended and carried steadily to the altar. It opened its mouth to roar something grand, yet no sound emerged—no whisper, no hiss could be heard at all. The silver-robed woman twisted her waist, suddenly turning to face the altar. With a swift motion of her silver sleeve, a bright, fist-sized beam of azure light shot forth and spiraled before settling upon the massive body of the green ox. There, it formed a miniature tripod, wrapped in a soft, pale blue flame, spinning steadily, mysterious and enchanting. As she pressed her palms together, a pleasant incantation flowed gently from her jade-like mouth. The blue flame surged upward, and the small tripod gradually grew larger, expanding into a towering ancient tripod, reaching a height of one zhang. If Han Li had been present, he would surely have been left speechless, gaping in astonishment. Beyond the flame upon it, the ancient tripod appeared remarkably similar to the Xitian Tripod—identical in form, and adorned with the same floral, bird, insect, and creature motifs. Indeed, it was utterly beyond belief!