"Since there's a magical artifact as compensation," said the ancient demon, calmly nodding. "That's all. Everyone, follow me into the lake's depths. Though this place is remote, we still need to be cautious not to be spotted by passing cultivators—otherwise, things might get complicated." As soon as the plain-faced cultivator finished speaking, a flash of spiritual light emanated from his body, and he descended straight toward the lake surface. The others, seeing this, soon followed suit, lowering themselves into the water. In a moment, the lake rippled, and the cultivators vanished completely from sight, leaving only a gentle breeze sweeping across the surface—quiet and still. Meanwhile, at the base of the Yin-Yang Cavern, far beyond the small lake, Han Li and his companions encountered a few minor difficulties. With a mere movement of his spirit awareness, Han Li sent a burst of golden light before him, effortlessly shattering the charging unicorne ghost that approached. At the same time, golden light flashed above and below his head, cleaving two more ghosts in half, whose bodies then dissolved into swirling black mist. Han Li then turned his gaze to the others beside him; the elder named Fu and his companions also summoned their spiritual artifacts, eliminating several more ghost beings. These shadow ghosts were all small in stature, slender and delicate, yet each one bristled with fierce energy, unyielding and fearless. Han Li showed no sign of satisfaction, but rather furrowed his brow. "Fu brother, we've been traveling for several days now, yet we've still not seen a trace of the Yin Zhi horse. Though these ghosts are merely low-level entities formed from condensed yin qi and lack even basic intelligence, their relentless advance along the way is no trivial matter," said Yuan, the tall Han, who with a wave of his hand sent a green flame piercing through a small ghost, voicing exactly what Han Li had been thinking. "No need to worry, Yuan brother. This underground cavern is vast, and the Yin Zhi horse is particularly adept at concealment—how could it be easily spotted? Though these small ghosts are numerous and persistent, we defeat them effortlessly. As long as we maintain our spiritual stones to replenish our energy, we can sustain ourselves for a considerable period of time." The wealthy elder, however, remained confident. "It's true that the shockingly potent cold wind that drains spiritual power is no trivial matter. Even with our Yuan婴 stage cultivation, we could only endure two months beneath ground." Bai Yao Yi glanced around at the surroundings and then sighed lightly. They were situated within a vast passageway, towering several dozen feet high, with crystalline, shimmering black ice covering the walls on either side. The thick, dense black wind that had been more intense at the entrance now circled continuously around them, emitting sharp, piercing cries that made the hearts of those present race and their minds restless. Yet, once this cold wind entered the luminous aura emitted by the elder's precious pearl, it was automatically mitigated by half. Even so, Han Li and the others had to maintain a constant stream of brilliant spiritual radiance, carefully avoiding any contact between their bodies and the remaining fragments of the black wind. The spectral spirits, meanwhile, kept emerging from the surrounding winds, rushing toward them with the fervor of moths drawn to a flame. When a flash of cold light passed through, one of the spirits was instantly transformed into an ice sculpture by Bai Yao Yi's flying blade, shattering and disintegrating completely— Several immediately retrieved their treasures and continued drifting forward along the passage. In this Yin-Yang cavern, the wind was constantly shifting, making it difficult to extend one's awareness far beyond the immediate vicinity. No one dared to ride their flight spells and move swiftly, for otherwise, within just a few days they would have fully explored all the passages. Only after a brief meal had passed did the black wind suddenly intensify, and suddenly a three-way intersection appeared in the wind—three channels, one large and two smaller ones, now spread before the five of them. The five paused momentarily. "Another intersection," said Han Li, his eyes flashing with cold determination. "If this pattern continues, we won't be able to cover all the tunnels within two months. We must split up and proceed separately." "Split up?" replied the Yuan-named man, glancing at the elder's precious pearl. "But there's only one Purple-Yuan Pearl. Without its protection, our inner energy would be consumed twice as quickly when facing the startling Yin winds. That would drastically shorten our time spent within the cavern." "As for the Zǐ Yōu Jū, I can sacrifice some of my vital essence to temporarily enhance the divine light of this pearl for the several friends here. However, the effect won't last long—provided the shock of the Yin Wind remains constant, each cycle should sustain us for about seven to eight days." The wealthy elder nodded and said. "Seven to eight days—this should be enough for us to thoroughly explore the branching pathways. But before the Zǐ Yōu light is fully consumed, we must accurately locate each other to receive a renewed enhancement. Therefore, we must leave clear magical imprints so that we can rely on our secret techniques to find one another." Han Li seemed to be pondering this. "Though unlikely, what if we encounter a high-level ghost creature that proves too formidable for even one of us?" Bai Yao Yi frowned slightly. "Hmph! If a ghost creature is beyond even our mid-Central Immortal stage, it must at least be of King-level rank. This place isn't the true Yin-Ming Realm—how could the accumulated Yin Qi alone give rise to such powerful ghost beings?" There weren't even a few fierce ghosts deep within the cavern. As for the Ghost King, said to be equivalent to a senior cultivator, that was merely a haphazard rumor circulated among others—few had actually seen him. The risk we're taking now is certainly worth it. Otherwise, once our cultivation energy is depleted and the阴wind weakens, the flood season ends, and our entry into this place will become exceedingly difficult. As a cultivator from the southern region, Yuan naturally knew more about the Yin-Yang Caverns. The wealthy elder and the black-robed woman exchanged glances, both showing a touch of hesitation. Initially, to ensure safety, they had never considered acting independently. Yet the vastness of the underground realm and the multitude of passageways and caverns far exceeded their expectations. If they didn't split up, they might very well return empty-handed. Bai Yao Yi seemed convinced as well, after some thought, and didn't voice any further objections. "Very well. Then we'll follow your suggestions." Just remember, everyone, do not stray more than three days' journey from me, or we might not have time to secure my divine light blessing." The wealthy elder finally made his decision and added a careful instruction. "Rest assured, there must be a main passageway beneath us, and the branching paths won't be too long. Three days should be enough for us to fully explore." Han Li, calmly observing the clearly defined passageway at the central intersection, said so. Upon hearing Han Li's words, the elder immediately opened his mouth and spurted a stream of refined blood onto the purple-void pearl. The pearl radiated brilliant light! He then cast several consecutive spells and, with one hand, reached out toward the pearl, grasping the void in front of it. Instantly, a bright, piercing purple glow emerged from the pearl and gently floated up to rest in his hand. Holding the glowing sphere in one hand, the elder glanced at the other four members and then gently struck the black-robed beauty beside him. The purple light flashed, and the glow instantly vanished into her body. Immediately afterward, a layer of purple light emerged from her. She was enveloped in a glow identical to that of Zi You Zhu. Seeing this secret technique proved effective, the group of Han and others grew reassured and allowed the wealthy elder to proceed as he had demonstrated. After mutually inscribing magical markers on one another, the group divided into three teams and entered the three passages respectively. Naturally, the wealthy elder and his sister entered together and took the middle, broadest passage first. Han and Han Li entered the two side passages, one on each side. After a moment's hesitation, Bai Yao Yi followed Han Li into the same passage. Upon sensing the lady in court attire stepping out behind her, Han Li slowed his pace, waiting until she reached him before they proceeded side by side. "Hasn't Han brother noticed that this Yin-Yang Cavern seems to be at odds with its name? It's said that when cultivators enter, they are severed from both yin and yang, facing great peril. Yet after entering the cavern, aside from the startling, chilling wind that occasionally posed some difficulty, we haven't encountered any real hardships." Could it be that the reputation of these immortal realms is all just exaggerated? White Yaoyi suddenly asked this as she followed Han Li. Han Li was somewhat surprised by this question, yet smiled gently and replied, "Though I know little about this place, the fame of the seven immortal realms of the Great Jin state should be genuine. Don't forget, this powerful wind—so fierce—would easily tear apart any cultivator below the Yuan Ying stage, even if they have their life-essence法宝 (spiritual artifacts) shielding them, right at the entrance. It's precisely because we possess the divine light of the Zi You Pearl and our own cultivation level far surpasses that of ordinary cultivators that we have remained unharmed thus far. Moreover, we've only been underground for a few days and have encountered only the lowest-tier yin ghosts so far. If we go deeper, the yin energy will undoubtedly grow denser, and there should be even more formidable ghost beings to come." "Your words make perfect sense, and I must admit I've been rather anxious. Oh! These yin ghosts have come again!" Just as Bai Yao Yi and Han Li exchanged a few words, suddenly seven or eight of the earlier ghosts surged from the nearby wind, fiercely charging toward them. Streams of cold light and golden glimmers erupted, and within moments, the ghosts were cleanly dispatched by the two. Thus, the two formed a temporary team and proceeded slowly, searching ahead. After half a day of searching, they found nothing at all. When they emerged once more from an empty cave, a sharp, piercing cry suddenly rose from the wind—harsh, mournful, and full of fury. "What on earth is this?" Bai Yao Yi was momentarily startled. "It seems like the sound of corpse-forging," Han Li remarked calmly, his eyes flashing. "Corpse-forging? Quite coincidental!" The dressed lady raised her elegant brows, slightly surprised. Undeterred, the two moved forward, hearing the sound. As they turned a corner, a cave several zhang high suddenly appeared on one side of the corridor. Inside, the wind roared violently, far more intense than the usual wind in the corridor. And thus, the ghostly howl gradually echoed from within the cavern. "Ah! What is this?" Bai Yao Yi spotted a object planted beside the entrance of the cavern, entirely encased in ice, shimmering and translucent. She raised her hand and launched a series of fiery balls, each the size of a clenched fist, which struck the object. With a sharp *thud*, the crimson flames instantly melted the ice, revealing the object's true form. It was a blue flying sword, its entire blade embedded within the wall, only a short section protruding. As the ice began to melt, the sword, which had seemed lifeless, suddenly emitted faint glimmers of light, then began to emit clear, resonant tones. The hilt then trembled continuously, as though a spirit serpent striving to break free from the ice wall. Bai Yao Yi's face expressed surprise. She shook her silk sleeve, and a crimson rope shot forth, flashing with light, instantly wrapping around the hilt. With a gentle flick of her wrist, the sword was pulled free from the wall and fully seized in her hands.