At the very moment the spell array manifested, the two of them floated into the air on their own. Han Li glanced at it briefly and immediately confirmed that the array before him was indeed the control array of the Xitian Pavilion, noting a pattern at its center that was identical to the Xitian Ding. He suddenly recalled the scene when the Xuling Pavilion's Xuanyu Cavern had been first opened—the sealing array used there had also employed a similar restriction. Only now, the array was over ten times larger and appeared even more intricate and profound. "You've seen this array before!" the silver-robed woman noticed the slight expression of surprise on Han Li's face, drew her hand back slightly, and asked him directly. "I've seen something similar in a certain place within the Xiaojing Palace." Han Li offered no concealment, simply stating this calmly. "That makes sense! Then, you should have some understanding of how to operate this array. Try it out—see if the Xitian Ding is indeed the instrument that controls the array." The silver-robed woman did not press further questions; instead, she urged Han Li to rise. After a brief hesitation, Han Li nodded and opened his mouth, instantly launching a surge of azure light that soared straight toward the center of the spell array, where the small, immaterial Tian Ding stood. Naturally, throughout this process, Han Li remained vigilant toward the silver-robed woman, ready to swiftly retrieve the Tian Ding should she show even the slightest intent to claim it. As soon as the Tian Ding reached the center of the massive array, Han Li guided it to halt precisely facing the large bronze pattern beneath. At that moment, the bronze pattern suddenly glowed brilliantly, and a column of jade-colored light burst forth from its core, enveloping the floating Tian Ding within. Han Li felt a jolt in his consciousness, momentarily losing connection with the Tian Ding, his face growing pale with concern. He quickly glanced over at the silver-robed woman, who remained completely unchanged, and with a sense of relief, resumed observing the evolving spell array and the Tian Ding. Under the glow of Qingguang, the Xuting Cauldron began to emit a resonant hum and rapidly expanded in size. Soon, it grew to match the scale of the patterns below it, and various floral, avian, insect, and aquatic motifs on the cauldron began to float and transform. Han Li felt a sudden surge of awareness, reestablishing his connection with the giant cauldron. Yet immediately, he sensed his own spiritual power rushing toward the cauldron in a steady stream. His face grew pale with concern. Not long after, when the Han legislative force had lost more than half of its strength, his face grew even more serious. At that moment, a low rumbling sound came from the array, and some characters began to flicker and emerge, though the light was unusually faint—seeming as though only just beginning to activate. "It's impossible," the silver-robed woman said, her expression shifting as she withdrew her hand seal, causing the blue light pillar to collapse instantly. Han Li frowned, then pressed his own qi and extended his hand, summoning the great cauldron at a distance. The Xutian Cauldron swayed slightly, then shot out from the light pillar, rapidly shrinking before quickly regaining its original size, and then vanished in a flash into the sleeve of Han Li. "It's not just a matter of insufficient qi! This array was originally designed to be controlled by cultivators at the Stage of Transformation into Immortal, and with us—one at the mid-stage of the Yuan Ying stage and the other at the late stage—it's simply impossible to maintain control over it," Han Li said, his brows furrowed as he stared at the array below. At that moment, after the traces of the Xuting Cauldron had vanished, the vibrant cyan light beams emanating from the center of the array also disappeared. The booming sounds of the array and the flickering luminous glimmers around it gradually subsided, eventually settling into complete stillness—like a lifeless object. The silver-robed woman flashed her phoenix-like eyes, speaking with a touch of confidence. "Is there such a secret technique? Have you taken notice of my five demonic beings and that puppet?" Han Li replied thoughtfully. "Hah, you're truly perceptive! Exactly what I meant. With the five demons unified, that puppet, and my own contribution, we should have a good chance—perhaps several in ten." The silver-robed woman chuckled, instantly transforming from her cold, composed demeanor into a graceful, charming presence, as if she had completely changed. Yet Han Li paid no attention to her stunning beauty, instead pondering deeply. "You didn't mention my name just now. Does that mean I'm unable to perform this technique?" he finally asked. "That's unlikely. This technique requires practitioners of equal levels to collaborate, and only the one with the highest修为 can channel and control the resulting combined magical energy. Though your修为 surpasses that of an ordinary mid-stage cultivator, it still falls short when compared to a late-stage cultivator." The silver-robed woman smiled gently. "Hmph. To command the Xitian Ding, one must cultivate the Tongbao Ju. Your implication is that you'd like me to hand it over!" Han Li's face suddenly darkened, and he coldly snorted. "Though the Lingbao is indeed precious, if you don't wish to be trapped here for life, there's no alternative." The Ice Phoenix replied calmly. "Forget it. I will never agree." Seeing Han Li respond so firmly without hesitation, the silver-robed woman's eyes flashed with surprise, but then a surge of irritation swept over her face as she prepared to speak again. Yet at that moment, Han Li calmly interjected: "Tell my friend Feng something. This place naturally opens once every three hundred years. Even if we do nothing, we'll merely be confined for a few years at most—then we can leave safely. In fact, I've changed my mind. I no longer wish to leave immediately. I intend to settle here and cultivate thoroughly. Hehe! Of course, if by chance I manage to break through to the later stage of cultivation, I'll certainly find you then." "Good luck to you!" With these words, Han Li's body shimmered with a flash of light, suddenly transforming into a streak of jade-green light that shot straight down toward the stone platform. In a moment, he vanished into a distant passage of smooth gray stone. "Once every three hundred years!" Hearing this, the silver-robed woman was filled with exhilaration. The words that had formed on her lips at first were instantly swallowed. Though she had lost an opportunity to claim Han Li's spiritual treasure, she now felt no need to remain permanently here, and thus let go of all other ambitions. She didn't fear that Han Li might deceive her with empty promises—after all, for a celestial beast whose lifespan reached into the tens of thousands of years, merely two or three centuries was nothing remarkable. As originally planned, she possessed a nearly self-sacrificial secret technique that would allow her to temporarily attain the formidable power of a God-Stage cultivator, enabling her to easily defeat Han Li and seize the Xitian Ding. However, this technique was both extremely demanding and came at a significant cost. Not only must a ten-tier yingfeng beast of the Yingfeng clan be able to perform the technique, but after its execution, the fundamental source of the cultivator suffers significant damage—ten out of ten will thus be permanently barred from advancing to the Chuanshen stage. Even for a cultivator like her, who has long met the prerequisites for breakthrough, the consequences are equally dire. Indeed, this young lady is deeply frustrated! Originally, due to concerns over her lifespan, she had planned to advance to the Chuanshen stage in the near future. However, after being stimulated by the spatial node information conveyed by that old yingfeng beast in its vehicle form, she became preoccupied with actively participating in the assault on Xiaoji Palace and thus neglected her own advancement. As a result, she remains stalled at the late stage of cultivation. Of course, directly advancing to Chuanshen here is also a viable option—upon successful advancement, not only would she be able to defeat Han Li, but also claim the spiritual artifact, the Xitian Ding, to depart. Yet the Yingfeng clan possesses a unique requirement: a special ritual must be performed at the clan's sacred sanctuary, the Bingyuan Island, in order to This woman naturally wouldn't dare to risk herself further, especially if she still had a chance of escape. Of course, Han Li wasn't aware of all these details, but he feared the other might snap under pressure and thus revealed the fact that the Virtual Heaven Pavilion opens only once every three centuries. As long as this woman still held even a slight hope, she would surely not be eager to fight him to the death. Naturally, Han Li's mention of his own breakthrough into the later stage was merely a casual remark. The silver-robed woman, formed from a ten-tiered ice phoenix, completely overlooked it. To break through into the later stage? How easy could that be? Countless cultivators at the mid-Immortal stage have failed to make this leap, ending their journey at that level. After pondering for a long time on the stone platform, the silver-robed woman murmured softly, "Very well. I still haven't mastered several of my secret techniques. Perhaps now would be a good time to refine them. If I succeed, I'm sure I'll have a better chance when facing this man." After speaking these words, the woman stamped her jade foot, instantly transforming into a streak of crystalline light and speeding toward a passage opposite to Han Li's. She also intended to locate a suitable stone chamber where she could settle down and thoroughly meditate and refine her cultivation. Half a day later, Han Li found himself within a sealed chamber measuring thirty to forty zhang in size. He sat cross-legged on the ground, with a white, milky pool of water before him, stretching over ten zhang in diameter, its aura shimmering with ethereal energy and releasing a delicate fragrance. This was precisely the second layer of the divine secret chamber where Han Li had first encountered Yuan Yao. Not only was the chamber exceptionally secluded, but it also housed such a magnificent spring of spiritual clarity—undoubtedly an ideal place for cultivation. Nevertheless, to be safe, Han Li completely sealed the teleportation array, rendering it temporarily ineffective, and then covered the entire chamber with various array flags and cloaks. Even under the continued influence of the divine and sacred restrictions governing the entire great tower, it would be no easy task for a pure, ten-tiered ice phoenix to locate this very place.