Suddenly, a flash of starlight in the center surged forth, releasing countless luminous orbs the size of fists—seeming as though thousands of stars were cascading out, instantly slicing through space and leaving golden streaks behind, like a waterfall reversing and the Milky Way flowing backward, creating a sense of enchantment and bewilderment in those who watched. The two-headed giant wolf, motionless at the heart of the vortex, paid no attention to this assault, merely accelerating the black whirlpool to draw in more white light points and compressing itself further. But suddenly, the black wolf grew astonished. For the golden starlight, sweeping past the top of the vortex, failed to strike it at all. "A mistake? Impossible! With divine awareness guiding the flow, how could such a ridiculous occurrence arise?" The giant wolf was surprised, yet suddenly sensed something. One of its heads turned around, and instantly, it gasped in astonishment. Suddenly, another head rapidly cast a series of incantations, and the multicolored radiance spewing from the vortex immediately coiled upward, effectively severing the golden starlight that had been shooting through. Yet from Linglong's mouth came a cold, clear voice: "Now you realize it? Too late! He's already been released by me." As soon as these words were spoken, at a distance of several dozen zhang behind the black vortex, a large cluster of starlight gathered together, and then a figure flickered several times within it, gradually solidifying into form. After a brief moment, the figure drifted out of the starlight, gazing around with a look of bewilderment, as if completely at a loss. Just as Han Li had just reached the edge and turned to look back, he was startled to see this figure. "It's him! How did he end up here?" Han Li found himself utterly puzzled. This seemingly polished elder turned out to be Xiang Zhi-li, the newly forged spirit formed when Fang first entered Kunwu Mountain, when the magical soul and Long Meng were fused together. At that time, the newly created spirit, supported by the silver wolf's body and proficient in both ancient magical arts and the secrets of the spiritual realm, possessed powers far exceeding those of the current Maghoul and Linglong—nearly several times greater than their peak combined strength, even approaching the level of a preliminary Liangxu cultivator. It was precisely this strength that enabled him to remain within the seal while transmitting spiritual energy beyond it, temporarily sealing Xiang Zhi-li in place. The miraculous celestial image of the Fantastical Realm, however, was an ancient technique long lost in the human world—essentially, it merely involved sealing a person within a temporary spatial rift created through immense spiritual prowess. This spatial fissure cannot persist for long, and the caster themselves cannot enter it willingly. Due to the inherent nature of such fissures, it is known by various names—such as "Imprisonment of the Immortals" or "Realm of Nightmare." Of course, its actual effectiveness against an opponent depends on both the opponent's and the caster's levels of cultivation. However, when a lower-tier cultivator is ensnared by a higher-tier one using this technique, they are certain to suffer greatly. Aside from waiting for the fissure to naturally dissipate or for another powerful artifact to forcibly breach the spatial barrier, they can only remain trapped, patiently enduring until the spell takes effect. Nevertheless, this technique is not particularly practical in most cases. After all, a higher-tier cultivator would typically have other, more straightforward means to subdue a lower-tier one, making it unnecessary to expend such significant amounts of spiritual energy and concentration. If, on the other hand, a lower-tier cultivator attempts to use it against a higher-tier one, the latter can simply rely on their own abilities to effortlessly overcome the spatial barrier. Thus, this technique is more commonly employed among peers of the same stage, yet if the timing and setting aren't precisely judged, it's difficult to ensure the recipient accurately enters the fissure. Moreover, to cast this spell, one must at the very least be at the Mid-Immortal Stage. These numerous limitations are likely one of the reasons this secret technique has been lost in the Human Realm. Fortunately, the spiritual awareness and magical energy required to dissolve this spell are relatively modest—thanks to the power of the Inverse Star Disk, Linglong can manage to dispel it with some effort. Although Xiang Zhi-li doesn't fully understand this secret technique, she has heard of several related anecdotes. During the days when the turtle was trapped within the miraculous celestial phenomena, she remained still and composed within the fissure, as any movement risked her falling into the illusion. However, just moments ago, she had been frowning and idly brooding, only to suddenly appear here, which brought her great delight yet also left her somewhat puzzled. Now, Xiang Zhi-li blinks her eyes, still a bit bewildered, and glances around. But at this moment, the two-headed giant wolves flashed fierce glares, and without further hesitation, opened their mouths wide, launching two beams of dark light directly at the black wind banner before them. The banner immediately trembled, igniting instantly and releasing countless threads of black luminescence that spiraled outward in all directions. The black vortex, which had already shrunk to a span in size, underwent a sudden surge throughout its body, then rapidly contracted toward the center, transforming within moments into a circular hole about a cun in diameter. At the heart of this hole, the darkness was as deep as ink, completely impermeable to any light, while the surrounding area expanded and contracted irregularly, continuously consuming everything in its path. The space that had already been severely distorted nearby now appeared to be being violently torn and drawn inward. Such an extraordinary and eerie scene was truly terrifying—only a spiritual artifact like the black wind banner, endowed with spatial magic, could achieve such a marvel. Xiang Zhi Li’s gaze was immediately drawn to the strange behavior of this black hole, and he instantly gasped, his face pale with alarm. "Unbelievable!" he cried. In a hurried exhalation, a triangular crimson signal arrow shot out of his body. As it flashed, the treasure shimmered with golden flames, radiating a brilliant golden light and instantly transforming into a golden fire beast. The creature was armored all over, with two horns sprouting from its head, wrapped in cascading golden flames—neither quite a bull nor quite a tiger. Yet as soon as it materialized, it leapt forward without hesitation, becoming a streak of golden light, rushing straight toward the black hole. Meanwhile, the seemingly ordinary robe on Xiang Zhi-li shone with vibrant luminescence, instantly forming a delicate, purple-hued protective aura before he turned pale with anxiety and gazed intently at the black hole. To his surprise, before the fire wolf even reached its target, a loud, booming laugh erupted from within the black hole, followed by a sudden downward plunge—strangely, as if it had instantaneously shifted position—now hovering just above the altar. Then, with a sudden expansion and contraction, the hole burst open. At Han Li's eyes, as the black hole on the altar burst, countless black fissures—some thick as several dozen feet, others as fine as an inch—emerged instantly at a distance, then emitted a sharp, piercing sound like a thousand birds taking flight, rapidly spreading out in all directions. From afar, the distant landscape seemed as though a vast mirror had been shattered, striking awe and alarm. Han Li's face grew pale—was it another spatial collapse? However, the seventh-level collapse had merely triggered the ancient restrictions set by the ancient cultivators, resulting in only a close call. This time, however, the situation was clearly different. The spatial fissures appeared without any discernible pattern—varying in size and constantly flickering with threads of black light, appearing highly unstable. Even if one managed to be drawn into a wider fissure, there was a ten-to-one chance of being doomed. Unless, as in the previous instance, the fissure unexpectedly connected to a stable, smaller space, there was absolutely no hope of survival. And under his eyes, the Seventh Perfection Immortal, who had been too close to the altar, was severed by seven or eight cracks several chi in width, his body and protective treasures reduced into seven or eight fragments. The shattered remains, along with the Yuan-Infant that had just shot forth to escape, were then completely engulfed by an even broader crack, silent even as the cries of pain faded, vanishing without a trace. Yet what troubled Han Li quietly was that, simultaneously, several cracks of varying sizes appeared, reaching his side in the blink of an eye, precisely pinning him in the center from all directions, leaving him utterly unable to evade. At that moment, another cry seemed to echo—this one sounded like Gui Ling’s. However, Han Li was too preoccupied to pause and investigate, so he gritted his teeth and, in a sudden burst of inspiration, launched his evasive light directly toward one crack only a few inches in width. At the same time, the Xitian Ding hovering before him surged forward and met that crack head-on. Han Li, at a loss, could only gamble that this cauldron, also a spiritual treasure, would be able to withstand the cutting force of the crack. To his great delight, as the slender crack struck the Vtian Cauldron, a flash of green light rippled through it, and the smaller cauldron emitted a deep, resonant "hum"—the crack momentarily halted. Without hesitation, Han Li flashed into the air, weaving past the crack. Then, turning slightly, he saw that the very spot where he had been standing had now been sliced by several black cracks, transforming into a dark, smoky expanse. This sent a cold shiver down his spine! However, just then, the black cracks suddenly trembled, their inner black radiance intensifying, causing Han Li's face to pale and his heart to race once more. Yet what followed immediately stunned him! After the inner glow of these cracks stabilized, they suddenly contracted, shrinking and retreating as if they had just appeared—like time itself had reversed—each one gradually drawing back, flowing backward in a wave of retreat. To his surprise, the cracks near Han Li had vanished entirely, as if the entire scene had been nothing but a mere illusion. Alleviated, Han Li suddenly remembered the cries he had heard earlier and hurried to where Gui Ling had been standing. There, everything appeared exactly as it had before—only the ugly woman was gone. Han Li's expression grew serious. With a subtle mental focus, he inspected the spirit tablet of the demon, and indeed, it had disappeared completely. The demon had truly been swallowed by the cracks. Han Li sighed quietly, without pausing to reflect further. He quickly scanned the entire space, trying to assess the current situation. To his relief, Lin Yinping and the corpse bear, though not as fortunate as he had been in escaping to the edges, had sustained no injuries at all. The corpse bear was enveloped in a brilliant, vivid glow of blood, his demeanor surprisingly calm, while Lin Yinping appeared pale and wan. Several cracks had passed close to her just moments before, and her survival was truly a matter of luck. I don't know whether the so-called Tianlan Sacred Beast indeed possesses such extraordinary powers that it has been quietly protecting this Sacred Maiden all along.