To White Yao Yi's astonishment, the corpse—unknown to have been preserved for how many years—instantly disintegrated in the golden light, turning into a pile of white ashes. "Let's go," said Han Li, furrowing his brows and remaining silent for a moment before speaking softly. Then he strode out of the scene. White Yao Yi gave a light laugh, shook her head with indifference, and followed him. Not long after, the two reappeared in the corridor and continued their flight forward. As their figures faded into the distance and finally were swallowed by the black, gusty wind, a human-shaped shadow emerged slowly from beneath the stone pillars in the cave. This shadow was entirely black, its face blurred, as if it were pure darkness itself. Only its eyes shimmered with an eerie green light. It first glanced at the primordial ape whose body had turned to ice fragments at the entrance, then lowered its gaze to the ashes near the stone pillar. Suddenly, it plunged its form toward the ground. An odd scene unfolded! After a roll, the ashes immediately flew toward the shadow, adhering tightly to its body without any shedding. Then, a low hum rose from the shadow's mouth, and waves of black vapor surged out, enveloping the entire figure. A moment later, the black vapor swirled and settled, revealing a perfectly identical mummified corpse. This time, the corpse was no longer lifeless—it turned its head slightly and suddenly opened its mouth toward the entrance, spewing out a gust of murky, chilly wind that instantly swept the remnants of the Niyuan's icy fragments into its path. The ice visibly melted and dissolved under the force of the wind. "Whoosh!" A complete Niyuan leapt out of the wind. It raised its head and snapped its teeth a few times, then after several hops, settled down beneath the corpse, climbing onto its legs like a pet. The corpse then extended one dark claw, gently tapping the Niyuan's head twice, while its eyes remained fixed on the exit, their green glow flickering continuously. This mummified figure seemed to be thinking plainly, as if fully awakened in mind and spirit. While Han Li and the others were taking separate actions, at the peak of a towering mountain in the southern region, a manor erupted in thunderous cries and battle cries. Hundreds of black-robed cultivators were wielding various talismans and implements, attacking a thin yellow light shield that enveloped half the manor. Inside, only about a dozen yellow-robed cultivators were desperately waving array flags of various colors to reinforce the shield. Due to their small numbers, the shield was visibly trembling and on the verge of collapse, and everyone inside was visibly anxious. High above the manor, at a height of several hundred zhang, a middle-aged cultivator of dignified bearing, dressed in yellow robes, stood pale as a sheet. Surrounding him at a distance, five figures of gray-white hue stood motionless—so faint they seemed like wisps of mist. These figures formed a perfect circle, encircling the middle-aged cultivator. "Brother, can you truly not spare the He family?" I've had several meetings with the Master of the Ghost Sect. As long as you show some leniency, I'm willing to lead my entire family out of the immortal realm and never reappear again. Moreover, this is the southern region—your conduct has been so unrelenting that you can't help but risk stirring up trouble." Though the middle-aged cultivator knew the chances were slim, he still held out a final hope and spoke skyward. "Your He family has already pledged allegiance to our Yin Luo Sect, yet now you wish to back out. What have you made of us? Don't think that merely relocating to the south will make us invisible. For the sake of our reputation, we'll have to see the He family completely vanish. Furthermore, I'd like to use your head as a means to impress upon the lesser members of our sect. Shall you choose to end your life yourself, or shall I personally take you down? When the Five-Children's Malignant Magic is summoned, even the bones will be left behind." Though the area around them was completely empty, suddenly, a soft voice drifted through the air—ethereal and indistinct, making it impossible to determine whether it was male or female. Upon hearing these At that moment, a thunderous roar erupted from below. The yellow-robed cultivator quickly scanned downward, his face pale with shock—only to find the protective light shield finally shattered into fragments, dissolving into scattered points of luminous light and vanishing entirely. Not a trace of color remained on his face. Meanwhile, the Yin Luo Sect cultivators outside the estate erupted into cheers, as a wave of brilliant light surged down, instantly engulfing several dozen estate cultivators within the shield. "Are you daring to—?" The yellow-robed cultivator could no longer contain himself, and with a firm strike on his jade bag of spiritual beast, a beam of yellow light burst forth, swiftly transforming into a yellow serpent several zhang long, streaking downward. "Master, why must you treat these younger disciples so harshly? Instead, allow me to witness your Heavenly-Heaven Bricks firsthand." With a calm utterance, the mysterious figure spoke, and among the surrounding white silhouettes, one suddenly stirred—appearing before the yellow serpent with a speed that approached instantaneous teleportation. The yellow serpent flashed with fierce light, opening its massive mouth and lunging fiercely toward the white figure. The white figure, without a word, shook its form and suddenly transformed into a colossal skull, about ten feet in size, entirely snow-white. Startled by this sight, the serpent attempted to halt its movement—but it was too late. The skull cackled with strange sounds, then opened its mouth, spewing out a burst of white filaments that instantly wrapped around the serpent’s head, sealing it tightly. Startled, the serpent struggled desperately, its massive tail—resembling a steel whip—swiping down and crashing hard against the skull. Yet the skull remained utterly still, neither swaying nor trembling. Suddenly, a shimmering gray light emerged from its mouth and traveled directly along the white filaments to reach the serpent’s body. An astonishing phenomenon unfolded. Beginning at the serpent’s head, wherever the gray light passed, the once-lustrous, plump body rapidly faded, growing dull and dry. In moments, the serpent’s flesh vanished entirely, leaving it hollow and bone-like. The serpent thus perished instantly. Yet the skull showed no sign of relenting. With a mere flick of her white silk, she swept the entire serpentine corpse directly into her maw and began to chew vigorously, emitting dreadful, crisp-crunching sounds. Seeing her faithful spiritual serpent, a companion for years, meet such a fate, the yellow-robed cultivator was both stunned and furious, a streak of resentment flashing across her eyes. She glanced at the nearby white silhouettes, then suddenly struck her back of the head with one hand, expelling from her mouth a block of several inches in size, yellowish and hazy. With a series of gestures, she pointed solemnly at the block. The treasure spiraled upward into the air, then rapidly expanded within the radiance, growing into a colossal form within just one breath and one exhalation. It rose to a height of over ten zhang, glowing with brilliant yellow light and flowing runes, commanding an awe-inspiring presence. "This is indeed the Heavenly-Whole Brick? Truly, well-known yet never truly seen—this truly disappoints me, Master of the Sect." "It seems I have no need to make an appearance. Let the Five Demons escort our friend all the way!" The concealed cultivator sighed, as though deeply disappointed. As soon as these words were spoken, the other white figures moved swiftly, drifting gently toward the yellow-robed cultivator. The yellow-robed cultivator paid no heed to the latter's condescending tone, merely swept his gaze over the approaching figures, then suddenly roared, his voice shaking the very heavens. Instantly, the celestial brick atop his head began to spin rapidly. With its sheer size, a gale surged forth, instantly enveloping the yellow-robed cultivator within it. Yet the white figures paid no attention to this, and once they drew within ten or twenty zhang of the whirlwind, they immediately extended their forms and shot straight into the storm. "Die!" A multitude of golden spears burst forth from the wind, each one a square brick no larger than a foot. Thunderous roars echoed, and in moments, several white figures were completely engulfed in radiant light. And at this moment, a brilliant yellow arc suddenly burst forth from the hurricane, flashing swiftly toward the horizon, reaching twenty paces beyond in the blink of an eye. "Hmph!" a cold, piercing exhalation. Then, with several soft puffs, four white figures emerged from the yellow glow as if undisturbed, and in a single flash, vanished completely from their original positions. At that instant, a ripple of spatial disturbance surged ahead of the luminous arc. As gray light flickered, the four white figures materialized and, without a word, launched themselves directly at the arc. The yellow-robed cultivator was startled, his body momentarily halted, and he quickly raised his hand. Instantly, a massive brick several zhang in size struck the white figures squarely—but the figures merely swayed slightly, their forms passing straight through the brick, and in a moment's time, they had reached the yellow-robed cultivator. Now, the yellow-robed cultivator grew increasingly agitated. With a swift motion of his hand, he produced an ancient artifact that had been held in his grasp all along—a blue seal. This precious artifact shimmered once, and a cascade of azure mist erupted. As several white figures entered, their forms instantly became still, as though they could not move an inch. Before the yellow-robed cultivator could even register a sign of delight, the white figures suddenly burst out laughing, their forms dissolving spontaneously within the azure mist. Seeing this, the yellow-robed cultivator silently cursed, quickly radiating a luminous aura around himself, preparing to flee. Yet suddenly, a surge of white vapor appeared, and several faint, indistinct human silhouettes surged forth, seemingly unimpeded by the yellow-robed cultivator's protective light, piercing straight through and vanishing into his body. Before he could react, he felt his immortal embryo suddenly tighten, his body grow warm, as though his entire bloodstream had boiled over. This was his final sensation—he then lost consciousness, his eyes going dark. Anyone nearby would have clearly observed that the yellow-robed cultivator's face was rapidly drying out, visibly shriveling, and within moments, transformed into a dry, skeletal corpse. The Yuan婴 within the desiccated body was completely devoured by the white figure that manifested inside, and only then did the four white figures emerge from the corpse, transforming into four skeletal heads that viciously consumed the remaining remains. At this moment, another white figure slowly arrived as well, joining the five in a line. At this time, the sounds of explosions and combat within the estate below had ceased, and a black-robed elder swiftly descended with a resolute demeanor. "Respectfully reporting to the Grand Elder! The He family's cultivators—72 in total—have all been eliminated. There remain over 300 ordinary family members. Please, Elder, decide what to do next." The black-robed elder landed respectfully before the white figures, hands folded. "Eliminated," the enigmatic cultivator replied coldly. "Understood," the black-robed elder acknowledged, preparing to ascend. "Hold on. Elder Ge previously informed us that the cultivator who killed our four senior elders and seized the Yin Luo Banner may still be in the southern region. With this matter settled, we shall now launch a full-scale search to locate this individual." "I'll remain in the southern region for one year. Should I see any trace of his, I will act immediately to eliminate him. Our sect's most treasured treasure must not fall into the hands of outsiders," the mysterious monk said in a grave tone. "Yes, I'll immediately relay this to my junior disciple," the elder in black robes nodded seriously, and replied respectfully. Then he dissolved into a streak of dark light and descended. "To defeat both my fourth brother, who holds the Yin Luo Banner, and escape the pursuit from Tianlan Temple—this is far better than the useless candidates from the He family. He seems to be quite an interesting opponent," the mysterious monk murmured to himself after the elder had departed, clearly showing his interest in Han Li. In white Yao Yi's astonished gaze, the golden arc burst apart upon the dry corpse. This body, long preserved for decades, instantly disintegrated in the golden light, turning into a pile of white ash. "Let's go. It seems I've been overthinking this all along," Han Li frowned slightly, paused in silence, then said softly. Then he strode out of the place. Bai Yaoyi gave a light laugh, shook her head with indifference, and followed out. Not long after, the two reappeared in the corridor, continuing their flight forward. As their figures faded into the distance and were eventually swallowed by the black, gusty wind, a human-shaped shadow suddenly rose gently from beneath the stone pillars in the cave. This shadow was entirely black, its face blurred, as if it were pure darkness itself. Only its eyes shimmered with an eerie green light. It first glanced at the ice fragments that had formed at the entrance where the malevolent ape had been transformed, then lowered its gaze to the ashes before the stone pillar. Suddenly, it plunged its body toward the ground. Instead, its head turned slightly and then suddenly opened its mouth toward the entrance, spewing out a gust of dark, misty wind that immediately swept the remnants of the evil ape's icy fragments into the stream. Within the wind, the ice visibly melted and dissolved at a rate visible to the eye. "Whoosh!" A complete, intact evil ape leapt out of the wind. It raised its head, snapped its teeth a few times, then after several hops settled down beneath the dry corpse, climbing onto its legs like a pet, remaining motionless. The dry corpse then extended one dark claw, gently tapping the evil ape's head twice, while its eyes remained fixed on the entrance, flashing with green light. This dry corpse seemed to be thinking plainly, as if fully awakened in intelligence—exactly like a common human. At the very moment when Han Li and the others were taking separate actions, on the summit of a towering mountain in the southern region, a manor was erupting with cries and battle cries. Nearly a hundred black-robed cultivators were attacking a layer of pale yellow light shield with various divine artifacts and spells, while this shield enveloped half of the manor. Inside, only about a dozen yellow-robed cultivators were desperately waving array flags of various colors to reinforce the shield. Due to their small numbers, the shield was visibly trembling and wavering, and everyone inside was growing increasingly anxious. As long as my lord shows mercy, I am willing to lead the He family members and step fully out of the immortal realm, never to return again. Moreover, here in the southern region, your unrelenting conduct may well provoke serious consequences. The He family has already pledged allegiance to our Yin Luo Sect—yet now they wish to renegate. What have we become in their eyes? Do not think that merely relocating to the south will allow them to escape our notice. For the sake of our sect's reputation, there is no choice but to see the He family vanish entirely. Furthermore, I would like to use my lord's head as a token to impress upon the lesser members of the family. Shall my lord choose to end one's life yourself, or shall I personally carry out the act? Should the Five-Hearted Demon of Harmony intervene, even the bones would be left behind. Though the area around us appears deserted, suddenly, a soft, indistinct voice emerges—its tone wavering, and the gender of the speaker remains unclear. Upon hearing these words, the yellow-robed cultivator felt his heart sink. At that moment, a thunderous roar erupted from below. The yellow-robed cultivator quickly scanned downward, his face pale with shock—only to see the protective light shield finally shattered into fragments, dispersing like scattered points of luminous light, fading completely. Not a trace of color remained on his face. Meanwhile, the Yin Luo Sect cultivators outside the estate erupted into cheers, as a wave of brilliant light surged down, instantly engulfing several dozen estate cultivators within the shield. "Yours...?" The yellow-robed cultivator could no longer contain himself, slapping his jade bag at his waist. A surge of yellow light erupted from the bag, swiftly coiling into a yellow serpent several zhang long, streaking downward. "Why bother with the younger disciples below? Let me instead witness your Heavenly-Heaven Bricks," the enigmatic figure replied calmly. Among the surrounding white silhouettes, one suddenly stirred—appearing before the yellow serpent with a suddenness that approached instantaneous teleportation. The yellow serpent flashed with fierce light, opened its massive mouth like a blood-filled basin, and lunged straight toward the white figure. The white figure, without a word, shook its form and suddenly transformed into a colossal skull, about ten feet in size, entirely snow-white. Startled by this sight, the serpent attempted to halt its movement—but it was too late. The skull cackled with strange sounds, then opened its mouth, spewing out a dense stream of white silk that instantly wrapped around the serpent’s head, sealing it tightly. Startled, the serpent struggled fiercely, its massive tail—resembling a steel whip—swiping down and crashing hard against the skull. Yet the skull remained utterly still, neither swaying nor trembling. Suddenly, a shimmering gray light emerged from its mouth and traveled directly along the white silk to reach the serpent’s body. An astonishing phenomenon unfolded. Beginning at the serpent’s head, wherever the gray light passed, the once-lustrous, plump body rapidly faded, growing dull and dry. In moments, the serpent’s flesh vanished entirely, leaving behind a hollow, ribbed frame. The serpent perished instantly. Yet the skull showed no sign of relenting. With a mere flick of her white silk, she swept the entire serpentine corpse directly into her maw and began to chew vigorously, emitting dreadful, crisp-crunching sounds. Seeing her long-time spiritual serpent meet such a fate, the yellow-robed cultivator was both stunned and furious, a streak of resentment flashing across his eyes. He glanced at the nearby white silhouettes, then suddenly struck the back of his head with a single hand, expelling from his mouth a solid square brick, several inches in size, glowing yellowish and hazy. With a series of gestures, he pointed solemnly at the brick. The artifact spun upward into the air, then rapidly expanded within the radiance, growing into a colossal form within just one breath and one exhalation. It now stood towering over his head, reaching nearly fifteen zhang in height, its yellow light brilliant and its characters flowing dynamically—its presence truly awe-inspiring. "This is indeed the Heavenly-Whole Brick? Truly, fame has not lived up to reality. It falls short of expectations, truly, for the sect." "It seems I have no need to make an appearance. Let the Five Demons escort our friend all the way!" The concealed cultivator sighed, as though deeply disappointed. As soon as these words were spoken, the other white figures moved swiftly, drifting gently toward the yellow-robed cultivator. The yellow-robed cultivator paid no heed to the latter's condescending tone. After a swift glance at the approaching figures, he suddenly roared, his voice shaking the very heavens. Instantly, the celestial brick atop his head began to spin rapidly. With its sheer size, a gale surged forth, instantly enveloping the yellow-robed cultivator within it. Yet the white figures remained unmoved. Even after approaching the whirlwind for over ten zhang, they suddenly lengthened their forms and shot straight into the fierce gust. "Die!" A multitude of golden spears burst forth from the wind, each one a square brick no larger than a foot. Thunderous roars echoed, and in moments, several white figures were completely engulfed in radiant light. And at this moment, a brilliant yellow arc suddenly burst forth from the hurricane, flashing swiftly toward the horizon, reaching twenty paces beyond in the blink of an eye. "Hmph!" a cold, piercing exhalation. Then, with several soft puffs, four white figures emerged from the yellow glow as if undisturbed, and in a single flash, vanished completely from their original positions. At that instant, a ripple of spatial disturbance surged ahead of the streaking light. As gray light flickered, the four white figures materialized and, without a word, launched themselves directly at the light. The yellow-robed cultivator was startled, his body momentarily halted, and he quickly raised his hand. Instantly, a massive brick several zhang in size struck the white figures squarely, yet the figures remained unphased, merely swaying slightly before passing straight through the brick, appearing moments later right before the yellow-robed cultivator. Now, the yellow-robed cultivator grew visibly agitated. With a swift motion of his hand, he produced an ancient artifact he had been holding since earlier—revealing a blue seal. This precious artifact shimmered once, and a cascade of azure mist erupted. As several white figures entered, their forms instantly became still, as though paralyzed, unable to move an inch. Before the yellow-robed cultivator could even register a smile of delight, the white figures suddenly burst out in strange laughter, their forms gradually dissolving within the azure mist. Seeing this, the yellow-robed cultivator silently cursed, quickly radiating a luminous aura around himself, preparing to flee. Yet suddenly, a surge of white vapor appeared, and several faint, indistinct human silhouettes surged forth, seemingly unimpeded by the yellow-robed cultivator's protective light, piercing straight through him and vanishing into his body. Before the cultivator could react, he felt his immortal embryo suddenly tighten, his body grow warm, as if his entire bloodstream had boiled over. This was his final sensation—he then lost consciousness, his eyes going black. Anyone nearby would have clearly observed that the yellow-robed cultivator's face was rapidly drying out, visibly shriveling at an astonishing pace, and within moments, transformed into a dry, skeletal corpse. The Yuan婴 within the desiccated body was completely devoured by the white figure that manifested inside, and only then did the four white figures emerge from the corpse, transforming into four skeletal heads that viciously consumed the remaining remains. At this moment, another white figure slowly arrived as well, joining the five in a steady line. At this time, the sounds of explosions and combat within the estate had ceased, and a black-robed elder gracefully descended, approaching with determination. "Respectfully reporting to the Grand Elder! The He family's cultivators have been entirely eliminated—only a few core layfolk remain, totaling over three hundred. Please, Elder, decide what to do next." The black-robed elder bowed respectfully as he arrived before the white figures. "Eliminated entirely." The enigmatic cultivator replied coldly. "Understood!" The black-robed elder acknowledged, preparing to ascend. "Hold on. Elder Ge previously informed us that the cultivator who killed our four senior elders and seized the Yin Luo Banner may still be in the southern region. With this matter now concluded, we shall launch a full-scale pursuit to locate this individual." "I will remain stationed in the southern frontier for one year. Should I see any trace of his whereabouts, I will act immediately to eliminate him. Our sect's most treasured treasure must not fall into the hands of outsiders," the mysterious monk said in a grave tone. "Yes, I will immediately relay this instruction to my junior disciple," the elder in black robes said, his expression stiffening with solemnity, and then bowed respectfully before vanishing into a streak of dark light. "To have defeated both my fourth brother, who holds the Yin Luo Banner, and escaped the pursuit from Tianlan Temple—this is far better than the useless members of the He family. He certainly presents an interesting opponent!" After the elder in black robes had departed, the mysterious monk murmured to himself, clearly showing his growing interest in Han Li.