"Master Han Li, are you all right?" the middle-aged man in green robes hesitated. "I'm fine, though still it fell short—just barely!" Master Han Li chuckled, rising to his feet, and at that moment, the radiant lotus beneath him suddenly collapsed, dissolving into scattered beams of light and vanishing into nothingness. He then gently settled onto the massive stone below. "What a pity! Master Han clearly only slightly lacked in spiritual awareness; otherwise, this advancement would have been achieved. After all, the secret technique you've devised is indeed a commendable method for transcending the stage of Divine Spirit." The elderly woman sighed, clearly impressed by Master Han Li's method. "Thank you, Lady Long. While this method proves effective, it will not be easy for others to gather so many cultivators possessing such intensely cold flames in the future, beyond this single opportunity." Master Han Li's expression returned to its usual composure, and he spoke calmly. "That's true." Besides the difficulty of gathering fellow practitioners who cultivate the Extreme Cold Flame, it is even more challenging to find someone who naturally possesses the Extreme Cold Flame and to locate a place as profoundly cold as this Xuan Yu Cave. Nevertheless, there are certainly many aspects of Han Li's approach that are worthy of emulation. The gray-robed monk smiled and said so. Upon hearing the monk's words, Han Li's brows twitched slightly, and he only shook his head in resignation. Then, he extended his hands, gazing at the luminous, elastic skin. Yet his eyes flickered with uncertainty. "Master Han Li, since the ritual has concluded, shouldn't we now deactivate the array and return to the stone pavilion to restore our vital energies?" Han Li frowned, his gaze briefly scanning the newly reappearing luminous screens around. "No, it's not urgent. I still have a few matters to attend to. I'll deactivate the array once those are settled." Upon hearing this, Han Li's superior did not even lift his head, merely responding with a composed, indifferent tone. Meanwhile, the middle-aged man in blue robes and Bai Mengxin exchanged glances, while the elderly nun, floating above Han Li's head, remained expressionless and silent. "Master Daoist, what exactly do you mean?" Recognizing the unusual situation, the monk immediately frowned. Though the old woman said nothing, a look of alertness appeared on her face, and her hand, concealed within her sleeve, seemed to shift slightly as if grasping something firmly, then she coldly observed the three young cultivators from Xiao Ji Gong across the table. "My esteemed friends need not be alarmed. I harbor no ill will. All I wish is for Brother Han to return the item to our palace, just as he originally received it." Finally, Han Li lowered his hands and raised his gaze toward Han. Suddenly, the sixteen silver blades on his body began to resonate with a sharp hum, then cascaded back into his body. His eyes immediately flashed with brilliance, subtly shimmering with golden hues—seeming as though his cultivation power had fully returned. "Return the item?" The monk and the old woman turned to look at Han, their faces now expressing a touch of surprise. "Master must not be jesting," said Han Li, slowly rising from his seat, his tone calm and composed. "I have only just visited this small palace, and I have never once taken any of your belongings before." Is this celestial treasure upon your body, Master Han? Cold Li, gazing steadily at Han Li, spoke softly and calmly. "A treasure of transcendent power! Master Han, do you indeed possess such a treasure?" This time, the elderly woman breathed softly, her eyes fixed on Han Li with a look of disbelief, tinged with a hint of yearning. The gray-robed monk, naturally, was equally astonished, and could not help but glance at Han Li with renewed interest. Before their arrival, these two had briefly inquired of Cold Li about Han Li's background, learning that he hailed from the southern region of the heavens. It was truly astonishing—such a relatively modest cultivator from a small locale should possess a treasure of transcendent rank. "Ah, the Xutian Ding! So it is. I am not at all reluctant to answer Cold Li's question. However, before doing so, I would like to first ask Master Han a brief inquiry. How can you be certain that I indeed possess this Ding? What is the relationship between your palace's Xuling Hall and this Ding?" Han Li did not immediately deny it, but instead offered a composed, half-smiling expression. "Then, indeed, you do possess this Ding!" As for how I know that the tripod is upon your body—it’s not exactly a secret matter. You’ve cultivated the Ziluo Ji Huo, which is a fusion of the Qiān Lán Hóng Yán flame carried by the Xūtiān Ding, correct? Throughout the mortal realm, aside from my palace’s replica of the Qiān Lán Ding, only the Xūtiān Ding possesses this cold flame. And just recently, I’ve refined the Qiān Lán Hóng Yán to its peak, so I’m now exceptionally sensitive to even the lower-grade versions of it.” Though my mind had already been certain for several parts that the Xūtiān Ding was upon Han Li’s body, hearing this firsthand stirred a spark of enthusiasm in Master Han Lí’s eyes. “So, when I first met you, you already knew that the Xūtiān Ding was within you,” Han Li asked, frowning slightly. “Indeed, that’s true—but I hadn’t expected you to neither deny nor even mention it. That’s quite unexpected. As a result, several prepared remarks fell by the wayside. The Xuting Ding was indeed the personal spiritual treasure of the founding master of this sect, Lady Bingpo. When the master traveled throughout the world with this artifact, it went missing upon her return over a hundred years later, after which the Xuling Hall was subsequently constructed. I have no interest in asking you how you came by this artifact—though it is unquestionably ours. As long as you hand it over, we shall certainly not detain you any further. Master Han Li spoke each word with solemnity. Han Li first looked puzzled, then chuckled, and without saying a word, simply stared at Master Han Li. Seeing Han Li's unyielding demeanor, Master Han Li's eyes narrowed, and her expression grew increasingly stern. "Dream Yao mentioned that Master Han possesses extraordinary abilities—though only at the mid-stage of cultivation, his skills rival even those of late-stage cultivators, and even the silver-winged night monkeys, such powerful beasts, cannot overcome him. Were this the case elsewhere or at another time, I might indeed be unable to hold you to account." But now, ensconced within the magical array, deep inside this sealed pyrite cavern. Moreover, your inner power has dwindled to only three parts, while my secret technique remains fully effective—both your physical strength and vitality are at their peak. How can the odds be any better? Need I say more? The golden glow in Han Li's eyes has gradually intensified. The young man in green robes and Bai Mengxin both gaze at Han Li, their expressions growing serious, as though facing a formidable adversary. "I didn't expect that, by stepping in to assist you in breaking through your bottleneck, I would be exploited by you. Is this the usual pattern of the Xiao Ji Palace—always repaying debts with grudges?" Han Li gives a slight smirk, a cold smile playing on his lips. "Master, didn't I pay you well? I not only shared with you my refined Cold Flame Technique, but also transferred to you my secret method—after decades of contemplation and refinement—designed specifically to help break through such a bottleneck. Besides, wasn't the primary reason that Master Han came to assist me precisely to witness firsthand the effectiveness of this technique, so he could draw inspiration and apply it himself? Can this truly be considered a case "Han Li sighed, remaining unconvinced. "Indeed, that does sound plausible. But the one currently trapped within the array isn't merely myself! The matter of the Supreme Heavenly Treasure is of such significance—do you truly intend to have me killed and silenced?" Han Li glanced casually at the monk and the old woman beside him, speaking calmly. "Master Han has come here surely to assist Brother Han Li in breaking through his current bottleneck. Then, if the so-called Xitian Ding is indeed a treasure belonging to your temple, Master Han shall return it to you. And in return, your temple shall offer Master Han some compensation—how does that sound? For practitioners of our level, harmony is always preferable." After a moment's thought, the monk proposed this as a mediation, clearly intending to resolve the matter. "At present, our temple is going through a particularly busy period, and I personally do not wish to clash with Master Han. As long as Master Han is willing to return the Ding, I will personally offer a substantial amount of spiritual stones—enough to ensure that Master Han will never worry about them again." Upon hearing this, Brother Han Li's expression softened. Yet Master Han listened silently, then chuckled softly, lifting his gaze to the sky without speaking a word. Upon seeing Master Han's demeanor, Brother Han Li's face grew stern as water, his shoulders slightly trembling, and his body's blue flame surged dramatically, swelling several times over, until he himself transformed into a massive, glowing blue fire sphere. The middle-aged man in green robes and Bai Mengxin also chanted a spell. One launched several translucent flying swords from his body, while the other merely shook his sleeve, sending two dark, short spears flying out that spiraled around them before them, emitting a strange, mournful hum. Seeing this, the monk sighed, murmured a prayer, and then flew toward the light screen—just as the old woman had done, clearly deciding not to intervene. Yet, as he was en route, his path suddenly changed, and he flew directly toward Han Li. Han Li was startled, still unsure of the monk's intent, when suddenly, he heard the monk's voice in his mind. Han Li stared, his face now expressing a touch of surprise. "Brother Han, please hold onto this Qianlan Cauldron for now. I'll lend you my support when it comes time to act!"