"Right now, we can only take it step by step." Han Li wasn't particularly optimistic, merely responding with a calm tone. At that very moment, a tremendous roar came from behind him. Even without turning around, Han Li instantly sensed that one of the Golden Magnetic Spirit Trees had been severed. Yet he showed no signs of alarm, for he was only a few dozen paces away from the vast hall ahead. In fact, he could now clearly see a peculiar scroll suspended at the apex of the hall's main gate, which stood some twenty to thirty paces high. The scroll, neither gold nor wood, bore the ancient, flowing characters "Kunwu Hall" in large, golden script. Han Li exhaled gently, hesitated slightly, then reached into his sleeve once more and retrieved the jade vial containing the liquid of a thousand years' worth of spiritual essence. He drank a drop. The effort of resisting the Golden Magnetic Heavy Light had drained most of his inner energy, but now it surged back to full strength within him, and the shimmering green glow, golden arcs, and deep purple flames on his body simultaneously intensified. With renewed momentum, Han Li took brisk steps toward the hall's entrance. At the seventh level beneath the Magic Tower of Kunwu Town, a clear, crisp sound of shattering rang out, and the crystalline wall that had blocked the group of ancient monsters led by the tall humanoid mage for several minutes finally collapsed under the combined force of their three precious artifacts, its sparkling fragments gradually fading into the air. "Let's go. This wall truly is a treasure of the Xiyi Sect—remarkable in its ability to hold us off for so long." The mage extended his hand, summoning a small, silvery sword hovering above his head and folding it into his sleeve. "Given this duration, won't the Toxins Saint's Sect actually succeed in securing their treasures?" Another elder from the Ye family, having folded a white jade ruler, expressed some concern. "Rest assured! Even if they obtain the celestial spiritual artifact, it won't be immediately usable. Should they succeed in acquiring it, we can simply reclaim it right away." The ancient mage remained composed, speaking calmly. "Indeed, what the Han elder has said is precisely what I intend to do." With a hearty laugh, the tall humanoid elder stepped first into the exit of the seventh level. After the elder from the Ye family gave a slight nod and managed only a dry smile, he followed along. In a moment, the three of them passed through the sloping stone steps and arrived in a stone chamber equipped with a teleportation array. Upon seeing the two small arrays of black and white, the three were just as surprised as the members of the Du Sheng Gate. However, after scanning both arrays with a glance, the ancient demon's eyes settled on the black one, and a hint of surprise appeared on his face. "Why are there two arrays? Which one leads to the eighth floor—or are both of them?" the elder from the Ye family murmured, his gaze lingering on the white array. This was because, after the members of the Du Sheng Gate had used the array for teleportation, there were still faint traces of spiritual energy lingering on it. "No need to choose—just use this one," the ancient demon said, gazing steadily at the black array, his voice sounding somewhat unusual. "Use the one on the other side?" But the people from the Toxin Saint Sect were...” The elder was about to ask something when, suddenly, without any prior warning, the ancient demon standing beside him swept his sleeve with a swift motion. From within the sleeve, a dark magical arm shot out like lightning—so fast that the elder only felt a gust of wind at his ears, and before he could react, his entire head was instantly pressed firmly against his crown by a cool, magical claw. “Ah!” gasping in shock, the elder barely managed to cry out as his head shattered with a loud “crunch,” splattering his brain and blood up to a span high, like a watermelon being squeezed. Yet even then, the ancient demon did not stop. At the same time, he opened his mouth and unleashed a surge of black magical flame that erupted with such suddenness it seemed to come out of nowhere, instantly engulfing the still-standing, now-headless body. Gentle wisps of mist rose in the flame. The elder’s body was soon reduced to ashes. Then, within the black flame, a Yuan婴—its body gently encased in a pale, misty glow—emerged, both arms tightly clutching a pristine jade ruler, his face filled with panic. The Yuan-Infant desperately poured spiritual energy into the ruler, shrieking with a piercing cry toward the large-headed monster. Surrounded by black flames, it could not even summon its instant-translocation technique. Yet an odd phenomenon unfolded—the large-headed creature stared blankly at the Yuan-Infant struggling in the magical flames, seemingly unmoved. The luminous shield encircling the elder Yuan-Infant held only for a brief moment before shattering under the surge of the flames. With a final, agonized cry, the elder was completely consumed by the black magic fire. Sadly, even in his final moments, the elder could not believe what had befallen him, vanishing from the world with a heart full of resentment and bitterness. "Now you're acting? Didn't you say we'd strike only at the final layer?" The large-headed creature finally spoke coldly, as though slightly displeased. "I originally believed we'd only meet the target at the final layer. But here, I've sensed its presence all along—so I naturally didn't need this person standing in the way." "Have you perhaps changed your mind?" Ancient Mage glanced at the stranger with a slight sideways glance, speaking with composed neutrality. "I'm but a junior disciple—what could there be to regret?" The stranger paused before adding, his eyes reflecting a complex mix of emotions. "That would be ideal. As long as we can rescue the Saint's avatar, the Saint himself will be able to employ a secret technique to infuse your body with spiritual energy. With your current aptitude, you'll have at least a six- or seven-in-ten chance of advancing you directly to the Huashen stage." Ancient Mage said, satisfied. "Hmph! If my fate isn't imminent, why would I have so easily betrayed the Ye family to aid a mere demon?" The stranger snorted, his gaze flickering uncertainly. "Demon! Once you're infused with spiritual energy, you'll become one of our Saint lineage. In our Saint Realm, human cultivators transforming into Saint descendants aren't rare at all—what's there to hesitate about?" Ancient Mage gave a slight smile, speaking with utter indifference. "Enough with the small talk—let's move. Otherwise, we'll find ourselves plagued by endless uncertainties!" The odd man seemed unwilling to bring up the matter again, and in a moment's time stepped onto the black teleportation array. Seeing this, the ancient mage chuckled and also took a few steps to join him on the array. As soon as the black array was activated, both figures vanished into the shimmering light. Instantly, the odd man and the ancient mage materialized within an identical array, surrounded by flickering, somewhat dim and blurred幽light. "Where are we?" the odd man asked, as soon as he regained his composure from the dizziness and immediately began to look around, his face expressing surprise and wonder. "Brother, look up—there you are," came the ancient mage's voice, slightly excited. Upon hearing this, the odd man hurried to comply and glanced upward. He was instantly taken aback. Lo and behold, at a height of over a hundred paces, countless seals shimmered incessantly, dense and intricate. At the very centers of these seals, a dark silhouette—resembling a small mountain—hovered motionless, its entire body encircled by thick black chains, each as wide as a large bowl, and simultaneously adorned with numerous colored seal scrolls. Nearby, clusters of bronze mirrors, each radiating yellow light columns, floated in formation, weaving together to form a vast enclosure that completely enveloped the dark silhouette. Upon seeing the true form of this figure, the eccentric member of the Ye family gasped sharply, his heart filled with profound astonishment. It was a double-headed silver wolf, towering over a hundred paces in height. Though covered in seals, its fur gleamed with a brilliant silver luster, as if forged entirely of pure silver, making it appear exceptionally majestic and noble. Yet strangely, one of the two wolf heads remained silver-white, while the other, starting from the neck, had turned deep black and glossy, wrapped in a faint layer of dark mist, and bore a prominent purple horn upon its head, giving it a fierce and terrifying appearance. At this moment, the two wolf-headed forms, vastly different in appearance, both had their eyes closed, as if both were in deep sleep—though it remained uncertain whether this was due to the spell's effect. "Is this what you call the Avatar of the Sage Ancestor?" the large-headed stranger frowned. "Yes, this is the Avatar of Yuansha Sage, one of the foremost Sage Ancestors in our realm. While he is not currently in his true form—only a fragment of his consciousness manifesting within a spirit-world wolf—he still stands among the top five Sage Ancestors. Indeed, even in this form, he is no ordinary Wuyin-period cultivator. Without interference from the Spirit Realm, he would be utterly unmatched in the Human World. In fact, Yuansha Sage was one of the three Grand Commanders when our Sage lineage first descended upon the Human World." The ancient demon spoke with pride. "Yuansha Sage!" the stranger murmured softly. "Brother Ye, could you please provide me with protection? I'd like to first cast a secret spell to connect with the Sage Ancestor's spirit." The ancient demon suddenly turned to say this. "Of course—go ahead and cast your spell The giant humanoid seemed to have completely set aside his reservations, immediately agreeing upon hearing the proposal. The ancient demon appeared utterly confident in the stranger, and as soon as he nodded, he clasped his hands in a series of gestures, from which a thick, dark magical aura surged forth, fully engulfing his form. A low roar then echoed through the air, and a dual-headed, four-armed spectral figure emerged, its bones resonating with powerful cracks. This spectral form stood several zhang tall, its massive body radiating an overwhelming aura of ferocity—so imposing that even the giant humanoid slightly recoiled, stepping back. The ancient demon then uttered two deep, indistinct incantations at once, and each of his four arms, covered in glossy scales, also began to form gestures and seals, transforming within the dark aura into beings resembling divine deities. Though the giant humanoid remained vigilant, carefully scanning the surroundings, his eyes were fixed intently on the dual-headed giant wolf in the sky, watching for any signs of change. After a full cup of tea's worth of time had passed, the ancient demon suddenly ceased his chanting, opened his mouth wide, and a thick, dark-red essence of blood surged directly upward into the air. At the same time, the four arms lifted upward, and the four black spells vanished instantly into the essence blood. The cluster of essence blood immediately transformed into an odd blood pattern, which flashed upward and then disappeared. Yet, in the next instant, this blood pattern mysteriously appeared on the black wolf's forehead. A flash of luminous light surged across the single horn, and the black wolf's eyelids slightly moved, finally slowly parting to reveal its eyes. The purple glow was brilliant, as if two spheres of purple light were simultaneously glowing between the eyelids, making it impossible to look directly at them. Neither the ancient demon nor the large-headed giant knew that, at the very moment the massive black wolf's head awoke, a silver box on a sacrificial table within another enclosed space nearby also flashed with light, as though something within had been stirred awake. Floating above the silver box was a jade ruler, about half a foot long, slowly rotating continuously, its emitted light gently enveloping the box below.