Upon hearing Xuan Qingzi's words, Lin Yinping glanced at Lingxi Peacock, then at Han Li. Just then, a flash of white light appeared on the Peacock's head, and the Xu youth's face once again materialized. With a slight smile of苦笑, he said to the two Daoists, "My fellow Daoists, there's no need to look for me anymore. My physical form has now been destroyed, and all that remains is my Yuan婴 residing within this spirit bird." "How can this be! Brother Xu is a late-stage cultivator—how could his body be so easily destroyed? Does it mean the ancient Magus Sage, imprisoned here, has finally broken free?" Xuan Qingzi was deeply astonished, his face pale. "From the tone of your words, it seems you already know of the magical beings dwelling within the Sealing Tower," the Xu youth remarked, his expression growing gloomy. "Please don't misunderstand, I didn't know this at first. It was only after receiving news from my temple that I gained some understanding of what's going on here. The matter of the ancient Magus Sage is truly significant—could you kindly elaborate on it for us?" After a brief chuckle, Xuan The young Xu, naturally, did not believe this at first. But now that he himself had attained the Yuan Ying stage, he found it difficult to press further questions. He sighed and replied, "Indeed, the ancient magical sage-ancestor has already emerged from his confinement. However, my body was not destroyed by the ancient magic beings, but rather by a covert attack from the Wàn Yāo Valley's Wàn-Nian Shī Xióng—the ancient corpse bear." "Wàn Yāo Valley? That's impossible. I've been stationed outside the entire time. How could that bear have gained access? Did it enter before we did?" Xuan Qingzi was momentarily startled, but quickly recalled a possibility. "Indeed, that bear not only arrived before us, but employed some secret technique to transform into a figure resembling a cultivator, completely free of any corpse aura. Otherwise, how could Xu have been deceived by such a subtle attack?" The young Xu, recalling the moment his body was devoured by blood blades, felt a deep pang of sorrow. "If the bear was the one who launched the ambush, then this scenario becomes quite plausible." The Master of the Ten-Thousand-Beasts Valley possesses a rare treasure known as the "Form-Shifting Pearl." It is said that by swallowing this pearl, one can freely change one's appearance and conceal unusual spiritual essences such as spirit aura or corpse aura—essences that ordinary cultivators simply cannot detect. Even my precious Mirroring Mirror of Harmonious Sounds is unable to penetrate this pearl's magic. Master Qi remarked with a furrowed brow. "Now that you mention it, I recall that the Ten-Thousand-Beasts Valley indeed has this unique treasure. However, it is said that once one consumes the pearl, their cultivation power becomes significantly restricted; otherwise, the pearl's magic would fade. Brother Xu, didn't the corpse bear reveal its true form when it attacked you?" Master Xuanqing also suddenly remembered. "With both of you pointing this out, it seems true. Indeed, the corpse bear only revealed its true identity as a corpse-tempered being after attacking me." The young man named Xu expressed his frustration clearly. "It is truly fortunate that you managed to escape your Yuan-Stage stage despite the attack from the corpse bear—this is no small achievement." Moreover, Master hasn't yet experienced a body takeover, has he? As long as he returns to find a suitable host and continues his cultivation for another hundred years, his cultivation level will surely be fully restored." The middle-aged scholar glanced at Lingxi Peacock, as if sensing something, and smiled. "Master Qi is truly perceptive. Though currently he can temporarily inhabit a spirit bird's body, it's not a lasting solution. I believe I should seek a suitable body as soon as possible." Xu, the young scholar, sighed lightly and replied. Upon hearing this, the middle-aged scholar said nothing further, but instead turned his gaze to Gui Ling, his expression now serious. "This Master is rather unfamiliar. Might I ask your name?" asked the elder, speaking calmly. The old Taoist beside him also kept his eyes constantly shifting, carefully observing the plain-looking woman. After all, Gui Ling's cultivation level of ten-tiered beast spirit could hardly be concealed from these two senior cultivators of the same rank. The woman showed no expression, yet Han suddenly smiled and spoke. "This is Gui Ling, who, like me, was accidentally transported into this mountain due to a ritual seal being activated." "It's quite rare indeed for a seal to be triggered and cause such a transmission. I wonder, Master Han, which sect do you belong to? I haven't seen you before, so it's no surprise at all." Seeing the woman remain silent, treating Han Li as if he were her own steed, Xuan Qing Zi's eyes flashed with a touch of surprise. His earlier casual demeanor immediately shifted, and he smiled warmly in reply. "Master Han is merely a freelance cultivator. It's natural that you haven't seen me before. However, being able to share the presence of Tian Mo Sect's Seven Marvel Master suggests that your standing must be quite significant. Allow me to ask—how did the two of you manage to reach the Eighth Level? As I understand, the transmission array there has been unable to activate for some reason." Though Han Li had never met Xuan Qing Zi before, the exchange of words had already given him a clear sense that the latter was likely one of the Ten Grand Sect's senior elders. He now sat up straighter, fully alert and prepared to respond. "Indeed, I am rather at a loss. I haven't introduced myself yet. I am Xuan Qingzi of Taiguan Sect. As for how we arrived, we did not use any teleportation array. Instead, we employed the 'Break-Bound Seal' scrolls of our Taiguan Sect to pierce through the eighth-layer barrier and forced our way in." Xuan Qingzi spoke casually. "Break-Bound Seal? Could a scroll alone breach a spatial barrier?" Han Li was momentarily stunned upon hearing the name, then expressed a growing doubt. "Of course not on its own. It must be combined with a special secret technique and our Sect's Tian A Divine Sword. Yet, I hadn't expected that once we entered this realm, we would find ourselves trapped within another spatial dimension." The elder turned back and glanced at the space where the black wind banner seal had originally been cast, shaking his head with a smile. "I have long heard of the renown of Taiguan Sect's Break-Bound Seal and Tian A Divine Sword. To find ourselves helpless against this spatial barrier—yet, you two treat it as if it were nothing. Indeed, Taiguan and Tianmo Sects truly live up to their reputation as the foremost "Lin Xianzi is jesting—your treasures from Tianlan Temple are no less abundant, though our temple's divine sword merely possesses a special ability to cut through the air." Xuan Qingzi gently stroked his beard, speaking with courtesy. Lin Yinping found the elder's modest words endearing, yet could not help but smile faintly. While Tianlan Temple might rank among the top among high-level cultivators, when it came to treasures, how could it compare with the two ancient lineages that have preserved their wealth since antiquity? This demeanor struck Xu Qingzi and Qi Miao the True Man as deeply unusual, so they exchanged glances, their eyes fixed upon Han Li's face. Han Li sighed inwardly, yet maintained a calm and composed expression, saying, "Since we parted ways at the Kunwu Hall, Qi friend has vanished without a trace—perhaps he has gone to search for treasures elsewhere. To be honest, I haven't seen any other members of Yin Luo Sect either." "Ah, you mean Ge friend and his companions, correct? No need for Han brother to worry. On their way here, they were ambushed by the Grand Elder of Ye Family and fell. Even their immortal embryos were completely dissolved." The Xu youth spoke in a matter-of-fact tone. "Indeed!" Han Li seemed to finally grasp the situation. "How truly perilous Kunwu Mountain is—so many cultivators have perished already." Xu Qingzi seemed to sense something, his gaze flickering with surprise at Han Li before he remarked with a touch of admiration. "Good—it's a relief that the members of Yin Luo Sect are no longer here. That way, we won't be hindered." "A few of you might want to begin by sharing what you know about the ancient demon sage's affairs..." The middle-aged scholar glanced at the distant ruins of the palace, his expression growing serious. "The elder's words about the seven wonders are indeed accurate. I must confess to you all that our journey has been specifically aimed at the Ye family and the ancient demon. This matter concerns the entire immortal realm, and we would greatly appreciate your cooperation." Xuan Qingzi smiled warmly at Han Li and the others. Hearing this, the Xu-family youth and Lin Yinping did not immediately respond—they instead looked somewhat puzzled. Now under the influence of certain seals, they could not speak freely without knowing Han Li's intentions. For a moment, both Lin Yinping and the youthful figure manifesting as Xu appeared uncertain and uneasy. Gui Ling remained silent throughout. In this context, Han Li's calm demeanor now seemed rather striking to the two senior cultivators. The two Xuanqing disciples exchanged glances, their faces each revealing a touch of surprise—clearly, they too sensed that the Xu youth and this Tianlan Holy Maiden seemed somewhat wary of Han Li. This stirred a sense of urgency within them. "Since both of you wish to know about the ancient demon's affairs, let me take the lead," Han Li said calmly, his gaze shifting slightly. "Very well, Han Daojun—just as you've..." The elder Xuanqing disciple smiled, about to speak, when suddenly a thunderous roar erupted from the palace direction, and a dozen luminous white light pillars burst forth from within. The elder's face instantly paled, and his words cut off mid-sentence. Immediately, the entire space on the eighth level began to tremble, resonating with a deep hum. Cracks spread across the ground, and the space itself shimmered with white light, every element warping and distorting. "Unbelievable! The ancient demon patriarch is breaking the seal on the ninth layer! How is this possible? This simply cannot be!" The Qiqiao True Person gasped, his voice trembling with fear. The ninth seal? Han Li was deeply surprised upon hearing this, yet as the entire space seemed to be collapsing, and with a flash of inspiration, he launched his Yuan Gang shield, which transformed into a silver light dome shielding him. However, before he could take any further action, the dozens of light pillars emanating from the palace suddenly changed color—turning dark as ink—and then expanded and deformed, curving outward and shooting forth in all directions. Where they passed, the space tore apart, white and black light flashing in rapid succession. Han Li only felt a flash of black light, and instantly, endless darkness engulfed him, leaving him utterly unable to escape. (First chapter! The double monthly ticket period is drawing to a close—please help us by voting for the next month! Your support means a great deal!)