Yet Han Li merely glanced at the two figures and his gaze settled on the distant altar. The Yuan Sha Saint Ancestor, who had dispatched a divine fragment to ignite the Black Wind Banner, clearly targeted the seal. A dense cluster of dark, piercing spines enveloped the altar's sky, though the exact nature of what lay within remained obscured. Nevertheless, several of the surrounding stone pillars had been destroyed during the spatial rifts that occurred moments ago—now only a fraction remained, standing alone, clearly indicating that the spell array had been severely compromised. Xiang Zhi Li himself was drenched in sweat, his face pale as if he had just emerged from a fierce battle. One of the two objects was the Inverse Star Disk, a circular disc about a cun in diameter, spinning smoothly in midair, enveloped in a shimmering, gel-like golden glow, appearing mysterious and enigmatic. The other floated directly above the altar—a dark, slender fragment. Its unusual shape startled Han Li at first, but he soon recognized it: it was the remaining half of the Black Wind Banner. Most of the spirit artifact had vanished during the earlier self-explosion, yet this remaining portion still emitted a flickering black light, as though untouched by complete destruction. Han Li scanned the surroundings, but saw neither Linglong nor the black wolf, and was growing increasingly puzzled when suddenly the Inverse Star Disk stirred, shooting a beam of golden light from its center. Out of the light stepped a graceful figure, who then coldly gazed at the Black Wind Banner. It was Linglong. At the same time, the shorter segment of the Black Wind Banner also underwent a transformation. A surge of black mist erupted from it, rapidly coalescing into a large double-headed black wolf, several feet in size. The wolf’s fur was dull, and its four eyes utterly lifeless. The black wolf's face turned furious, then both of its heads lifted simultaneously, each blasting a column of black light that met the massive sword beam. But as soon as contact was made, the light revealed it to be overwhelmed—clearly, the magical energy expended in igniting the Black Wind Banner had nearly been depleted. Yet the wolf remained calm, instead casting a cold, solemn gaze downward toward the altar, then suddenly emitting a piercing roar that seemed capable of shattering stone. Though he was not clear about what had happened before, upon seeing so much magical energy surge upward, his expression suddenly darkened as if he suddenly remembered something. Seeing so much magical energy erupt, Han Li's mouth twitched slightly. Without speaking, he raised a finger toward the sky, pointing at the golden great sword hovering above his head. A low hum followed, and the sword transformed into a golden arch, swiftly slashing toward the distant barrier. As the thunderous roar echoed, brilliant golden light burst across the barrier, only for countless crimson arrows to immediately pour in—fired by a humanoid automaton wielding a thunder-and-fire bow. In an instant, the entire barrier began to tremble, yet it still seemed far from being breached. Han Li's face remained as still and composed as water. With a single hand motion, he brought out the Three-Flame Fan into his palm. Yet before he could take a deep breath and prepare to fan out, a brilliant streak of blood light and two crescent-shaped blades simultaneously shot toward the barrier, striking it. Han Li's startled gaze swept across, and by then both the ten-thousand-year-old corpse bear and Lin Yinping had also taken flight, rushing to intervene with evident anxiety. It was clear they understood that unless they broke through the barrier swiftly and escaped immediately, they would be utterly overwhelmed by the magical erosion. Whether aiming to leverage Linglong's power for ascension to the Immortal Realm or harboring ambitions for the Supreme Immortal Treasure, all of them naturally prioritized survival. Han Li said nothing, merely lowering the glow of his three-flame fan. From its surface, a three-colored fire phoenix cried out and soared forth, striking fiercely against the barrier. Instantly, three radiant halos emerged, with various characters shimmering in dynamic motion—the barrier roared with thunderous resonance and began to warp and distort. The attacks from the other treasures naturally intensified and surged in equal measure! As the barrier twisted and strained under relentless assaults, it reached its peak distortion yet remained steadfast, refusing to collapse or shatter. Han Li's face grew stern, swiftly pulling out a jade vial, drinking the spiritual elixir to restore his inner energy, while mentally scrambling to devise another attack. At that moment, a flash of yellow light shot past, fading to reveal a yellow seal affixed to the barrier. Instantly, a layer of yellow glow spread across the barrier. Han Li was momentarily stunned, still trying to grasp what had happened, when another brilliant golden light, streaking down from the heavens like a meteor, arrived, encasing something within. A strange beast, wrapped in cascading golden flames, flashed into view near the barrier. The massive barrier trembled and shattered, revealing a narrow opening through which several strands of white light had penetrated. Overwhelmed with excitement, Han Li moved without hesitation, instantly transforming into a streak of radiant light and rushing straight through the opening. The humanoid automaton likewise flashed and vanished from its original position. With a brightening of vision, Han Li found himself in a hall that felt somewhat familiar. Several streaks of fading light nearly matched Han Li's flight, spiraling once in the air before materializing. Aside from the ten-thousand-year-old corpse bear and Lin Yinping, another figure emerged—Xiang ZhiLi, who had just extended himself near the altar. Indeed, this hall was the seventh floor of the镇魔Tower! Han Li stared at Xiang ZhiLi in surprise, while the latter beamed at him, as if about to speak. Yet at that moment, a golden column of light erupted directly from the barrier, coalesced into a single point, and formed a massive luminous sphere. In a flash, the silver-haired woman appeared within the sphere, holding the Nixing Disk. The elderly man's mouth opened, then closed instantly, swallowing whatever words he had been about to utter. The holes in the barrier rapidly shrank and vanished within moments. The several figures in the hall remained silent, each watching the others with cautious alertness, and for a moment, all stared at one another, at a loss. "Hmph. If you two linger any longer, the beast will absorb enough magical energy, and we'll all be doomed." Linglong's cold gaze swept over Han Li and Xiang Zhilin before she spoke. "Are you Lingmong, the elder?" Xiang Zhilin hesitated, uncertainly asking. After all, the new soul that had imprisoned him in the Illusory Marvel Sky was a fusion of Lingmong and the spirit of the demon, which felt quite different from what Linglong conveyed. "You know quite a bit. Perhaps the Three Elders of Kunwu have left you some messages. But as for Lingmong, she is merely a part of me." Linglong replied without hesitation. Such a complex relationship naturally made Xiang Zhilin blink several times, momentarily confused. Linglong's delicate brows furrowed slightly, yet she still murmured a few words softly to Xiang Zhi-li, transmitting her message. Only a short while later, Zhi-li was first startled, then suddenly enlightened. He quickly scanned Linglong again with his spiritual awareness, confirming once more that the silver-haired woman before him bore not a single trace of magical energy, only then did he ease his expression and bowed respectfully, saying: "Congratulations, Consort Linglong. Today you have finally escaped your predicament. Indeed, the Three Elders did leave us younger disciples with some guidance regarding your matter. Back then, they were truly forced to act—after all, the Yuan Shen of Long Meng the Immortal had fully merged with the demonic soul. They could not simply let her go without further ado." "Hmph. I'll address this matter when I return to the Spiritual Realm. For now, you should focus on mastering the control of the demonic energy. Should my body be immersed in true demonic energy for more than three days, it will completely solidify and transform into a fully demonized form." When this demon fully recovers his original powers and is further aided by the endless waves of magical energy emanating from the altar, it will not be difficult for him to reassemble a vast army of demons once he departs from this place—bringing back the chaotic scenes of the ancient wars. "Linglong said coldly. "I already know this, without needing the Princess to explain. Even without the terrifying power of true demonic energy, merely restoring this demon to his former extraordinary state would make our human realm powerless against him. But now, the ninth layer is saturated with demonic energy. Even if we wish to strike him down while he is weakened, we simply lack the strength to do so. This demon continuously replenishes his energy, and as long as we deliberately retreat and avoid direct confrontation, we will have to keep withdrawing. Moreover, the broken-boundary seal I obtained from the Taimei Sect has only two left." Xiang Zhi-li rubbed his hands and offered a wry smile. Upon hearing this, the silver-haired woman realized the truth of his words and found herself pondering. "Then, couldn't we simply reseal that magical energy?" Lin Yinping couldn't help but speak up at this point. "It wouldn't be that simple. The original sealing array has been completely destroyed, and the Jade Dragon Seal—responsible for controlling Kunwu Mountain's restrictions—was shattered right before my eyes by this demon when I left. If we had managed to seize that artifact, we could have activated an alternative array and subdued the magical energy. But as it stands..." Xiang Zhilǐ shook his head and sighed. With these words, the hall fell once again into quiet. "If there's an alternative array, wouldn't the ancient cultivators have developed more than just the Jade Dragon Seal as a means of control?" Han Li, who had remained silent, spoke calmly.