Having quickly glanced at the three towering figures shrouded in gloom, and then surveyed the exit at the far end of the hall, Hua Tianqi suddenly adopted a resolute expression and issued a low command: "Move!" With a simple flip of his hand, the green light shimmered and burst forth, instantly enveloping the four of them in a radiant cascade of emerald glow that surged forward like a streak of light, racing toward the entrance to the lower level. "Hua Tianqi, you dare!" The three towering figures were thunderstruck, leaping to their feet in fury. A cascade of yellow sword beams, each as thick as a thumb, erupted from their bodies, instantly piercing the surrounding dark clouds and scattering them in all directions—seeming poised to break free. Yet Hua Tianqi made no pause, his green light flashing and carrying him several dozen paces before vanishing into the far end of the hall, where he disappeared completely. After the great figure and the ancient demon swiftly dispersed the surrounding negative energies, the previously empty entrance suddenly burst forth with a brilliant white light, and a thick, shimmering crystal wall materialized out of nowhere. This crystal wall was seemingly of immense thickness, sealing the entrance completely with no trace of gaps or leaks. The figure, without pausing to think, raised his hand and sent forth a sword-like beam of light several zhang long, which struck the wall with great force. However, after a flash of vibrant hues, the sword light vanished as if it had disappeared into the ground. "The Mucy Five-Element Wall!" the figure exclaimed, stunned upon seeing the scene, but quickly grew alarmed and shouted upon closely examining the wall. "Indeed, this is the treasure. Isn't this the Mucy Sect's foundational treasure? How could it have ended up in the hands of the Toxin Saint Sect? After all, the Mucy Sect is also one of the major sects in the southern region, and I've heard they have a long-standing connection with the Toxin Saint Sect. It seems they must have borrowed it through some means we're unaware of." The elder from the Ye family also expressed his growing concern. "I've heard "This treasure must be quite renowned," Ancient Mage frowned. "This is rather troublesome. It seems the heavenly spiritual relic must indeed lie at the very base of the tower. Otherwise, how would the Toxin Saint Sect members have dared to take such risks?" The strange man stared intently at the crystal wall, his face growing stern. "Brother Ye, there's no need to worry! These people going down ahead of us is actually a good thing. Even if we're not certain about the presence of the heavenly spiritual relic on the next level, we can be sure that whatever is imprisoned there will be far more troublesome. They're simply making things harder for themselves. Once we've dealt with this ghost king and break through the crystal wall, we might just end up gaining an advantage." Ancient Mage said with a cold laugh. The large-headed stranger paused, then after a moment's thought, relaxed and smiled. "Brother Han, you're absolutely right. I've been overly concerned about our precious treasures, hesitating and worrying too much!" With that, his gaze shifted suddenly, landing on the ghost figure tightly ensnared by the silver flying spear. On the other side of the crystal wall, Huatianqi and the other three senior monks of Du Sheng Gate had already materialized. But as soon as Huatianqi finally exhaled a sigh of relief, one of the elders immediately voiced his complaint. "Master Huatianqi, isn't this a bit too risky? Although the Five-Element Crystal Wall can temporarily hold off the other party, we've now seriously offended them—how will we manage going forward?" "Hmph! Do you still think we can maintain peaceful relations with the Ye family? Don't even mention whether we'll give up our treasures—Ye Yue Sheng managed to escape the extermination by the Ten Great Sects only after feigning death. Now that we've stumbled upon her, how could she possibly let us go so easily? Does it really matter whether we offend them or not? Besides, the treasures that even our own patriarch has long cherished—do you really think they're ordinary items? I'd wager ten to one they're the legendary Celestial Immortal Treasures. Isn't it worth taking a little risk for that?" Huatianqi glanced at the elder, who seemed visibly uneasy, and then said with a serious expression. "Celestial Imm If it truly is such a miraculous treasure, it would indeed warrant our several risks. However, the Leaf Moon Saints have been stationed outside, and even if we succeed in obtaining the treasure, how shall we manage to escape? The other elder of the Poison Saints still expressed hesitation. "Heh, would I have taken such a bold step without confidence? Before I came out, I've already carried the Dragon Pearl of our sect with me. Should I fail to obtain the treasure, I can simply endure and rest for ten years, taking the pearl with me—this would be enough to hold my own against a late-stage Yuan婴 cultivator for a while. With that time, we will surely be able to make our escape." Hua Tianqi spoke with confidence. "I see now that you've made all the preparations. Then, everything will be settled." The other three elders finally relaxed. Though the treasure was appealing, their lives were far more important. "Only regret that Yuan's younger brother is not here. Otherwise, with my support, we could have stood a chance against a late-stage cultivator and wouldn't have needed to endure such a powerful remedy as the Dragon Pearl." Hua Tianqi suddenly mentioned the Yuan surname Han, his face showing a touch of regret. "That's true. But didn't Hua-brother already send a message? Perhaps Yuan-brother has already come this way. If so, when we leave with the treasure, we might find things much smoother." One elder of the Poison Saint Sect smiled and said so. "I hope so. Everyone should stay alert. The spirits on the seventh floor are already so tenacious—what awaits us on the eighth and ninth floors is still unknown. We mustn't risk our lives here. Nevertheless, this True Demon Tower truly lives up to its reputation. Without the Ye family clearing the earlier floors, we wouldn't know how much effort it would have taken just to reach this point." Hua Tianqi spoke with a serious expression. The other three nodded in agreement. Then Yuan Renxing began to turn and walk into a sloping downward passage behind him. According to their prior experience, after walking down several tens of zhang, they would naturally enter the next floor. But this time, after only advancing a dozen paces, several of them suddenly brightened, as a square, modest stone chamber appeared ahead. Inside, aside from one black and one white small teleportation array, the walls were completely empty and bare. "Hmm," Hu Tianqi was momentarily stunned, then furrowed his brows. The other three elders exchanged puzzled glances. After taking a few steps into the chamber, Hu Tianqi placed his hands behind his back and swept them around, circling the two small arrays twice. "Seed Brother, you're well-versed in ancient array techniques—could you examine these two arrays and determine if they're short-range teleportation arrays?" Hu Tianqi finally turned to a bearded elder, speaking gently. "Understood!" The bearded elder immediately responded, approaching one of the arrays and examining it carefully. The other two elders also came forward with curiosity. "Indeed, these are short-range teleportation arrays—very short-range, I should say. The distance is likely no more than a hundred li." After a brief moment, the elder with broad brows raised his head and affirmed confidently. "Then we're certain. This must be the array leading to the eighth level. It's rather unusual that the eighth level requires a teleportation array. Isn't a teleportation array typically bidirectional?" said Hu Tianqi, his eyes flashing with a sharp glance, speaking with careful attention. "Indeed, short-range teleportation arrays are generally bidirectional. But why are there two arrays here? Does that mean the eighth level has two such arrays?" the elder stroked his chin, expressing his bewilderment. "I'm not sure. However, a visit will surely clarify everything. Let's start with this one. The other one, though, feels rather uncomfortable to me." Hu Tianqi pointed to the white teleportation array and stepped decisively upward. The other three, gazing at the dark, imposing array, shared a similar sense of unease, murmuring in astonishment and quickly joining Hu Tianqi on the white array. After the Qidi Daofa Ju struck upon the spiritual array, a brilliant white light erupted, and the members of the Du Sheng Gate vanished into the glow. Yet moments later, after a dizzying sensation of spinning and turning, Hu Tianqi and the others found themselves in a realm that resembled a fairyland. The sky was clear and blue, with clouds drifting gently, and all around were flourishing magical flowers and rare herbs. With a gentle breath, a rich, vibrant spiritual energy washed over them. What stunned the members of the Du Sheng Gate most, however, was that not far ahead stood a splendid, golden palace, resting upon a vast spiritual array, surrounded by numerous altars. On each altar stood a massive stone figure, holding a golden great blade, silently facing the palace. Whether it was the altars or the stone figures, their rugged, unrefined appearance exuded an unmistakable sense of wild, primitive grandeur, standing motionless before the palace. Such an eerie scene left even Hu Tianqi speechless, unable to close his mouth for a long time. At the same time, Han Li stood on the white jade plaza where he had once left, gazing at a group of cultivators who were coldly staring at him from all around. Suddenly, he felt profound regret. Perhaps staying hidden in the Casting Spirit Hall had been a better choice; or even if he had come a little later, he wouldn't have found himself suddenly welcomed by so many. Who could have thought that, as soon as he arrived and intended to take another stone path, a large group of people suddenly emerged from the trees flanking the plaza? These people had not taken the usual stone path leading up the mountain, but instead had crept silently along the sides. This movement severely restricted Han Li's awareness, and when he first realized something was amiss, he had already been surrounded by them. Others were a white-robed young man who seemed familiar to Han Li, Ge Tianhao, and two other black-robed elders. These individuals formed a half-circle, tightly blocking the path down the mountain, as if they were afraid Han Li would escape. Han Li sighed. He recalled that after the auction, he had once taken a jade pendant from this woman, inscribing it into a sensing artifact meant specifically to guard against her. Yet after several years, the artifact’s effectiveness had long since faded. Otherwise, if he had encountered her two years earlier, such a mishap would never have occurred. "I didn't expect to meet the Saint Princess here—what a pleasant coincidence! This esteemed guest, is he one of your Tu Zhu Clan's senior master-level cultivators?" Han Li's thoughts raced, yet his expression remained calm. After a slight bow to Lin Yinping, he turned to the white-robed young man and spoke slowly. To Han Li now, among these individuals, only the senior master at the Metamorphic Stage, nearing the Yuan Ying period, posed the greatest threat. Though there were many cultivators present, the six or seven of them had their full attention focused on this person. "I am one of the Four Immortal Masters. I did catch a glimpse of Master Han's silhouette back then, though I regret that you were unwilling to pause even briefly for a few exchanges. Would Master Han now be so kind as to demonstrate a few techniques for me?" The young man with the surname Xu spoke calmly, gazing steadily at the equally young Han, delivering each word with deliberate clarity.