Han Li chuckled softly, said nothing further, and shook the jade scroll in his hand. However, after only a few sentences, Han Li's face grew pale—first showing astonishment, then an expression of disbelief, and finally one of excitement. The bearded Yuan-Center cultivator found this sequence rather puzzling. Yet, he had indeed made no alterations to the scroll, and thus had nothing to worry about. After a full candle's worth of time, Han Li read through the scroll at a pace far slower than the bearded cultivator had anticipated, then withdrew his consciousness, his expression now shifting between gloom and uncertainty. "Brother Man, where did you learn this 'Heaven-Tenacity Magic Power'? Do you know its origin?" Han Li asked slowly. "Origin? This magic power is well-known throughout the Chaotic Star Sea, having circulated for a long time. Even compared to the Six-Extremes' Six-Extreme True Magic Power, it holds a respectable reputation. It has traditionally been passed down through a single lineage—only through my master did I manage to learn it. So, is there something amiss with this technique?" "The Yuan Ying was puzzled and asked. "Nothing at all!" Han Li shook his head slightly, his eyes flashing briefly, then waved his hand—by the time he did, the jade scroll had vanished. "Should Han brother be unable to practice this technique, simply pass it on to any disciple, as long as the True Lineage of Tuotian Magic doesn't truly fade away." Having witnessed Han Li's earlier unusual behavior, the burly man didn't believe this statement, yet he merely spoke it calmly, with no hint of wanting to press further. To him, the matter of absorbing the Extremes of Cold was still the top priority, so he immediately added, "Since you've reviewed the technique, would you mind if I take the lead now?" As he spoke, the Yuan Ying's eyes flashed with red light, and a sudden aura of intensity appeared on his face. "Of course. However, Brother Man is currently a bit weak—would you mind lending me a hand?" Han Li glanced at the frozen form of the Ancient Master of Extreme Cold, then smiled and asked. "Thank you for your kind offer, but no need at all." Although Master Man now possesses only a tenth of his former power, he is still more than sufficient to handle a cultivator who is unable to move. Man the Bearded shook his head, speaking with great confidence. "Then I shall go ahead, and I shall be waiting outside now," said Han Li, smiling slightly and saying little. With a subtle movement of his body, he stepped into the entrance and slowly walked out of the stone chamber. Instantly, the chamber was left with only Man the Bearded's Yuan Spirit and the ice-bound figure of the Ancient Master of Extreme Yin. The Yuan Spirit gazed intently at the Ancient Master, his face growing increasingly solemn, while the Ancient Master, though motionless, displayed an expression of profound fear in both his eyes. Han Li stood outside the chamber in the corridor, gently handling the jade scroll in his hand, silent and thoughtful. The chamber remained utterly still, with no sound at all, until after a full minute, a voice, slightly weary, finally broke the silence. "Friend Han, you have finally arrived," it was Man the Bearded's voice, slightly hoarse. Han Li lifted his brow, clasped his hands, and the jade scroll in his grasp vanished without a trace. He then turned and walked back into the stone chamber. There, the massive blue ice still stood undisturbed, yet within it, the ancient master of extreme cold now stared with eyes like those of a dead fish, his vital energy completely gone. The Yuan-Embryo floated above the blue ice, its form subtly larger than before, vibrant and full of life—no longer weak as it had been. Yet on his face, a deep weariness was evident. "This time, thank you, Brother Han. I've regained most of my vital essence and must now immediately enter into stillness and dissolve. Otherwise, all my efforts will be wasted. My secret sanctuary is located at..." The Yuan-Embryo spoke as soon as he saw Han Li, but as he reached the end of his sentence, his voice dropped, and he transmitted his words directly through inner resonance. Han Li listened attentively, then nodded calmly without changing his expression. "Well, Master Man has avenged his great grievances. I shall now dissolve here and rest. Please go your way, Friend Han." With a deep breath, the Yuan-Embryo spoke calmly and Then, with a sudden shift in posture, it shot directly to one corner of the stone chamber and settled into a meditative posture. A brilliant golden light surged from its Yuan-Emperor body, and its vital energy began to surge erratically, fluctuating between strong and weak. Han Li smiled slightly, no longer paying attention to the Barbarian-bearded man's fading form, but instead cupped his hands and then extended them. As the thunder roared, several thick golden arcs shot out, striking the massive ice and bursting into splendor within the golden glow. Instantly, the ice shattered piece by piece under countless fine electric sparks, and the extremely cold, ancient master's physical form was completely reduced to fragments. After checking carefully and confirming that there were indeed no residual soul fragments or secondary immaterial essences inside, Han Li nodded contentedly and turned his gaze back. At that moment, however, subtle cracks began to appear on the surface of the Yuan-Emperor's luminous aura, shimmering with golden light as if a golden liquid were about to flow out. Han Li narrowed his eyes, fixing his gaze on the Barbarian-bearded Yuan-Emperor, silent and attentive. With a soft "crack," the Yuan婴 completely dispersed, transforming into scattered golden lights and vanishing into the void. Witnessing the transformation of the bearded man's Yuan婴, Han Li sighed lightly, then raised his hand and lightly tapped the remains of the fallen body on the ground. A fiery sphere shot out, engulfing everything on the ground in a blaze of light. Han Li did not look at the flames; instead, he morphed into a streak of jade-green light, spiraling once within the stone chamber before bursting forth through the entrance. In an instant, the glow vanished, leaving no trace behind. Since Han Li had no longer any hesitation upon leaving, he pushed his speed to its fullest, reaching the end of the corridor in mere moments. A wall of shimmering stone stood before him. Without hesitation, Han Li raised his hand, and golden glimmers burst from his fingertips, ready to release a sword-like aura to cleave the stone gate in two. Yet at that very moment, a tremendous rumble, like the earth shifting and mountains trembling, suddenly erupted, causing the entire corridor to tremble and resonate with deep, thunderous echoes. Han Li stood stunned, surprised yet not pausing a single moment in his actions. With a series of golden sword beams intersecting and cutting through, the stone gate shattered into four fragments. In a single fluid motion, he stepped out beyond the gate. But Han Li sneered, opened his mouth, and a flash of golden light vanished instantly, followed by a piercing cry from the other side. The red-light cultivator, caught unexpectedly by the swordlight that suddenly materialized beside him, was severed into two parts, and two fragments of crimson broken swords fell to the ground. This reverse-star alliance cultivator, who had been fortunate enough to reach the Dan stage, was rather unfortunate—he hadn’t even taken the time to properly examine Han Li’s appearance and thus met a sudden and unceremonious end. Nevertheless, from the few words he had exchanged, Han Li gathered some key details: it seemed that sea-based beasts had launched a surprise assault on the reverse-star alliance. Frowning slightly, yet unwilling to become involved, Han Li immediately pressed his palms together, drew in and condensed his aura, then shifted his form with a subtle motion, vanishing completely from sight. Afterward, he strolled calmly toward the outer hall. However, before he even reached the main gate, a thunderous roar rolled through the sky—like thunder itself—echoing from above: “Master Tang, this time our sea clan has dispatched so many fully-formed beings. The reverse-star alliance will be utterly unable to withstand this.” If you're wise, simply hand over that first-tier premium spirit stone right away. That's all we'll ask—our sea clan will spare your lives. The speaker's voice was thick and resonant, yet astonishingly powerful. Even the lower-ranked Inverse Star Alliance cultivators outside the pavilion were visibly shaken, their bodies growing weak and their inner spiritual energies momentarily stagnant. Upon hearing the words "premium spirit stone," Han Li's heart leapt—without a moment's hesitation, he shot straight out from the pavilion's main door. As he looked upward, he saw the scene outside in chaos: flashes of light erupted constantly, explosions rang out, and dozens of cultivators, along with several bizarre beasts, were engaged in vigorous combat. Above, pale blue mist nearly obscured the entire sky. Beneath the mist, several battle sites remained locked in fierce, ongoing struggles. One elderly man, dressed in a blue robe and slender in build, held a jade mirror in one hand, projecting countless sharp beams of bright green light, while with the other he summoned a blue flying sword, as if a dragon emerging from the sea. His opponent was an unusually stout head monk, towering in stature, with golden circular rings on each arm, yet he held a round bowl and exhaled waves of blue mist that successfully deflected the attacks of the lean elder. The thunderous roars came from this stout monk's mouth. Han Li, with a flash of blue light, glanced at the monk and noticed several gleaming silver scales on the monk's neck. Elsewhere, a man and a woman were jointly engaging a scholar with a pair of short horns, while another elderly man in gray robes released steady gusts of cool wind from a gourd, holding his own ground against a figure completely enveloped in blazing red flame. A little farther off, a swirling mass of blood-colored mist churned continuously, with faint roars and explosive sounds emanating from within—seeming as though combatants were enjoying themselves deeply. It seems at this moment it's hard to tell who has the upper hand—clearly, the Inverse Star Alliance made the right move by bringing back their Yuan-Center cultivators from the other islands earlier. Otherwise, with the usual garrison stationed on Stone Peak, they would have been overwhelmed in a single assault. "What kind of superior spiritual stones are you referring to? Did I misunderstand? I don't have any such stones at all," the slender elder said, his expression unchanged, intensifying the power of his法宝 while calmly speaking. "By now, Tang brother is still playing the game of covering his ears while stealing a bell—doesn't that seem rather amusing?" The plump man laughed heartily, spewing out clumps of blue mist, though his face betrayed clear disdain. "Ah, so it seems you've only heard secondhand. How could there still be superior spiritual stones in the human realm! On the other hand, you've come here without any apparent reason, eliminating so many of our cultivators—Tang will certainly not let this matter rest." The slender elder chuckled lightly, yet his tone had grown steadily colder. (Second update!)