"It's impossible! Under the pressure of two heavenly treasures, and with the seal already cracking, if the senior had truly broken free, they would have left this mountain long ago. How could they still remain here? Most likely, the senior has only partially freed their consciousness, attempting to startle me away." After a moment of panic, Xiang Zhi-li recalled something, and his expression instantly regained composure. "You know about the Nine True Magician Array and the Heavenly Treasures! Are you perhaps a descendant of the Kunwu Three Elders?" Though the woman's voice remained pleasant, her tone had suddenly grown colder. "I am not a descendant of the Kunwu Three Elders, though there are indeed a few who know of the senior's affairs in this realm. I am one of them." As he spoke, he continuously glanced around, appearing cautious and attentive. "Hmph! Don't search for anything. My true form has not yet fully broken free, but I certainly won't allow you to spoil this once-in-a-ten-thousand-years opportunity." "Just stay here quietly for several months." The woman had finished speaking coldly, when suddenly a ripple of space distortion swept through the stone pavilion, and a milky whirlpool materialized in mid-air. A vast expanse of five-colored radiance then surged downward, directly enveloping the elderly man. "A marvel of celestial phenomena!" Upon seeing this, Xiang Zhi-li's face paled. Without hesitation, he emitted a surge of silver light and shot off like a streak of light. However, as the five-colored radiance spun once, a powerful suction force instantly emerged, momentarily halting the elderly man's flight. As the radiance swept past, Xiang Zhi-li vanished completely from his spot—disappearing as if he had never been there at all. "It seems he'll have to remain dormant for some time. The better, the more accomplished the cultivator who reaches here! I hope the day he awakens will be the very day I finally break free. Kunwu's three sons—I intend to make you all understand the cost of sealing away this sovereign!" On that day, "giggling...," the woman murmured weakly, then burst into a wild, joyful laughter that suddenly cut off. Seven days later, when the Ye family had broken through the Ten Thousand Cultivators' gate only to find themselves trapped once again within an exceptionally refined illusion array, Han Li and his companions were likewise halted by an odd seal at a certain point on the stone steps, forced to ponder desperately for a way to dispel it. Meanwhile, around the otherwise quiet unnamed lake where the seal was located, the scene was bustling with activity. A crowd of over a thousand cultivators had gathered, spread throughout the surrounding dozens of miles, with several even reaching the Yuan Ying stage. The most striking sight was four senior elders of the Poison Saint Sect standing side by side along one shore of the lake. Most of the Yuan Ying cultivators, however, were traveling independently, clearly having come in response to the news. At present, one of the disciples of the Poison Saint Sect was reporting something to the elders. "Senior Elder, we have searched half of the underground seal network and now have a clearer picture. Twenty miles beyond this location, something has been deliberately concealed by a spatial illusion array. Disciples proficient in array techniques are currently working hard to dismantle it. Though it's only a temporary array, the person who arranged it is exceptionally skilled, so it will take some time to fully break through." The disciple with a red scarf wrapped around his head spoke respectfully. At that moment, another elder of the Toxin Saint Sect suddenly spoke: "Master Huā, there's no need to worry so much. Our southern region has no cultivators at the late Yuan-Ying stage. Even if other sects send reinforcements, we four together will not be in any danger." "That may be true, but the longer we delay, the more high-level cultivators will arrive. Our southern region isn't solely dominated by our sect—there are several others who stand on par with us. Should they arrive before we do, things will certainly become serious. Moreover, if we delay any further, the representatives from the Ten Major Sects of the Zheng and Mo factions will surely get involved." Master Huā, a middle-aged man with a gloomy expression, said so. Hearing this, some of the other elders of the Toxin Saint Sect remained unconvinced, while others likewise showed a subtle sense of unease. At that very moment, Master Huā, the man with the flower surname, lightly exhaled in surprise, then suddenly raised his head and glanced toward one side of the sky. The others were taken aback and turned to look as well. Lo and behold, far in the sky, a shimmer of spiritual light flashed, and suddenly a large, hazy mist formed at the horizon, swiftly rushing toward this place with an utterly unusual speed. The four cultivators of the Poison Saint Sect naturally sensed the terrifying spiritual pressure within the mist, their faces instantly growing pale. The mist reached the small lake in a moment, then burst and vanished with a soft *pffft*, leaving behind five faint white silhouettes, each face blurred and motionless. "I actually know quite a bit about the five-incarnate forms of Qian's fifth son—turns out, you're from the Poisons Saint Sect. I didn't expect you to have mobilized so many of your sect's members to come all this way. Surely, you must know something about the sealed things here?" A calm, serene voice drifted gently from the air, yet it was somewhat indistinct, making it hard to pinpoint its exact source. "I originally thought someone of my esteemed status wouldn't venture out so often. What could have possibly prompted you to personally intervene?" The flower-named cultivator smiled awkwardly and asked hesitantly. "Nothing particularly urgent. It's merely a matter of handling a rebel who has fled south. I've simply been eager to move after a long period of stillness." "Ah, then perhaps I've been overthinking it." As the flower-named cultivator and the old demon master exchanged their words, both fell silent at the same time. The atmosphere between them now felt somewhat unusual. "Found it! There's a crack not far from the seal—accessible from within. The Toxin Saint Sect is currently working to unlock the entry's defenses!" Suddenly, a figure emerged from the ground on one side of the small lake, flying off toward the distance while shouting loudly. The sound instantly startled all the nearby cultivators. At the very spot where the figure had emerged, several disciples of the Toxin Saint Sect—wearing blue robes and red sashes—flew out as well, their faces filled with shock and urgency, chasing after the fleeing cultivator. But that fleeing cultivator seemed to have mastered a special form of evasive technique, moving with astonishing speed—vanishing in an instant. The Huaxi cultivator and his companions grew visibly pale. "Ah, now I understand! I've cultivated some expertise in array techniques myself, and can certainly lend a hand to your disciples. I shall go first," said the old demon, laughing heartily. Then, five white silhouettes surged downward, disappearing into the lake within moments, leaving no trace. "Come! This old demon is both swift and precise—don't let him injure any of our disciples." The Huaxi cultivator, his face stern, stomped his foot firmly, then flipped his hand, bringing into view a yellow flag that had been prepared in advance. With a single shake, a yellow cloud enveloped all the members of the Duosheng Sect, drawing them down into the earth—just as they had vanished without a trace. Not only the elders of the Qian family and the Toxin Saint Sect, but also the other cultivators, naturally rushed down into the earth upon hearing this, and within a moment, half of the nearby cultivators had vanished underground. Those still remaining on the surface were naturally the lower-level cultivators who lacked earth-burrowing techniques or earth-burrowing artifacts, and could only watch helplessly. Yet, as these monastics gathered to gaze at a specific spot on the luminous screen, no lightning flashed—instead, seven or eight disciples of the Poison Saint Sect, dressed in blue robes and red sashes, stood guard there, their expressions grim, holding firm and preventing others from approaching easily. As a result, these individuals naturally came under sharp criticism from the other monastics, though no one dared to intervene directly. After all, the Poison Saint Sect held a considerable reputation in the southern region, and nearly all the present monastics were native to southern Jiangxi—naturally, they were reluctant to risk any misfortune. While some respected the sect’s standing, others were not willing to bow to it. Consequently, a streak of red light shot forth from among the crowd, followed by a cold, firm voice. "Get out of my way," the speaker said, though his voice was somewhat frail, his tone clearly agitated and unyielding. "I intend to enter." "Esteemed master," replied the other, "this is precisely where our sect first discovered it." Several senior disciples from our sect are nearby. Senior, you still—”Upon seeing a Yuan婴 cultivator stepping forward, a Jie Dan-period Toxin Saint disciple could only stammer, trying to make his point with the title of our senior monks. “Hah! Even myself, Tianqi, will be here. I insist on entering!” The figure in red light sneered, then raised a hand—immediately, a brilliant, piercing glow flared up in his palm.