A faint white glow rose from the forest, ascending into the air. This vessel was composed of two layers, its entire body gleaming with a purity akin to jade, crafted from fine jade. On its surface, intricate patterns resembling drifting clouds were etched, shimmering with golden and silver runes, giving it an imposing presence. As the jade vessel trembled, the golden and silver runes suddenly burst forth with a crisp sound, exploding into fragments of white mist that enveloped the vessel, transforming it into a seemingly ordinary, massive cloud. After a graceful spiral, the cloud moved silently toward a specific direction. An eerie phenomenon unfolded! Though the cloud appeared light and delicate, as if gliding slowly, it swiftly covered a distance of over a hundred zhang in an instant—its speed no less impressive than that of an ordinary Daoist cultivator of the Huáshén stage. "Indeed, no surprise that the Long family, masters of the human lineage's auction house, possess such a vessel suited for long journeys. While the spiritual cloud vessel is not particularly rare, its exceptional speed—so swift that it rivals the finest among its kind—makes it truly exceptional. Xiao Hong stood at the bow of the boat, surveying everything aboard, and expressed a subtle sense of satisfaction. "Hehe, Lady Xiao is being too kind. As a noble from one of the seven immortal clans, I've seen my share of treasures. My Lingyun Boat may not be particularly outstanding in speed, but its space is indeed spacious—enough to accommodate over a dozen quiet chambers. Aside from one person stationed outside each day to monitor any activity, everyone else can rest comfortably within these chambers. If all goes well, six months won't feel too long for us—perhaps just one or two cycles of training will pass by." Long Dong said politely. "That sounds excellent. We'll take turns rotating through ten-day shifts, while the others are free to move about as they please. Let's begin with someone selecting a chamber of their choice." The young wife nodded. Hearing their words, Han Li and the others naturally had no objections. Immediately, each of them chose a room they found satisfactory on the boat. Of course, since it was their own place for rest and meditation, they naturally established separate seals within the rooms to prevent others from intruding or spying. After a brief discussion, the five of them settled on a rotation schedule. It happened to be a fortunate coincidence that Han Li was assigned to the last position—meaning he would only take over after forty days. Once everything was arranged, Han Li said nothing further to anyone and simply entered his own meditation chamber, activating the seal. The behavior of the black-dressed young woman and others was quite similar. Except for Longdong, who was on duty, everyone else promptly entered their respective rooms. Seeing this, Longdong slightly moved his lips before once again walking to the foremost part of the spiritual vessel, flipping his hand and suddenly producing a greenish mat. He placed it on the ground and settled himself cross-legged upon it. "Hmph," he said, "half a year... I truly can't wait until this day arrives." The young man with the blood spot gently moved his lips, whispering softly and murmuring a few words barely audible before slowly closing his eyes, yet a strange, lingering smile remained on his face. In the spacious, quiet chamber of Yu Zhou, Xiao Hong and the white-mustached young man sat face to face on two wooden chairs. "Wait—so you're saying that this young girl named Ye Ying possesses the blood of the Celestial Phoenix and is indeed a descendant of a true spiritual family?" The white-mustached young man seemed stunned, as if he had just heard something astonishing. "Why should Li Daoxi be so surprised? Your Xuan Ying clan is already a rare celestial bird lineage—how could you possibly fail to sense the presence of the Celestial Phoenix blood in this girl? As for our Black Phoenix clan, though it is a branch of the Phoenix lineage, when it comes to the purity of the Celestial Phoenix blood, we cannot compare with this young girl. Nevertheless, sensing the Celestial Phoenix blood within her is entirely possible—there is no room for error." Xiao Hong said solemnly. "Then that makes sense!" "How could it be that as soon as I saw this lady, I felt so restless and even a little apprehensive? Even when we were still in the forest, my movements were somewhat awkward. But when Xiao Xian spoke to me about these matters—did she have any particular thoughts or intentions?" The young man with the white eyebrows exhaled gently, yet his expression took on a strange hue. "Nothing much. If her blood were that of another true spirit, that would be fine. But it's precisely the blood of the Celestial Phoenix, known as the Sovereign of All Birds. What does that signify? Surely, Brother Li, you can't truly be unaware of its meaning." The young woman smiled warmly, yet her eyes grew cold. "Hmph. Of course I understand the implication in your words. But don't forget the instructions from the elders before our departure, and the importance of this mission to our entire clan. Should personal matters cause us to miss this crucial undertaking, then even if we both obtain the Celestial Phoenix's blood, we may not live long enough to enjoy it." The young man with the white eyebrows remained silent for a moment before finally letting out a cold laugh. "Hah! When did I ever say I would act "Our mission naturally has to be completed first. After that, we can act at our convenience." Xiao Hong smiled lightly. "Acting after the mission is accomplished? Well, as long as it doesn't interfere with the mission, that's feasible. But what about the other two? Will they step in to assist him? Even if we successfully obtain the Heavenly Phoenix Blood, how will we divide it between ourselves—this blood cannot be split evenly." The white-haired young man's gaze flickered, and after a brief pause, he shook his head again. "Although the Heavenly Phoenix Blood is beneficial to you both, its value is even more significant to our Black Phoenix clan. Here's my proposal: as long as Brother Li helps me secure the spiritual blood, I intend to offer three Black Flame Pills as compensation. As for the other two, I will naturally take steps to temporarily sideline them. Moreover, the Black Stone Forest is no ordinary place—whether they can safely withdraw remains to be seen." The woman bit her lip, presenting an unexpectedly bold condition. "Three Black Flame Pills? Is that truly what you've agreed upon?" The white-haired young man was startled at first, then quickly beamed with delight. "Among the Black Phoenix clan, my younger sister holds a certain status. Though three Black Flame Pills are highly valued outside the clan, after years of accumulated effort, she has successfully crafted three herself. Originally, these were intended as a means to help her break through into the Lingxu stage." The middle-aged woman offered a wistful smile. "Then it's settled. As long as the task is completed, on the way back I will lend you my support. However, obtaining true spiritual blood isn't an easy matter—especially when it comes from a true spiritual lineage that has passed down for generations, where the blood has nearly fully integrated into the human body, making it even harder to extract." The white-haired young man recalled something else, furrowing his brows. "Rest assured. While the Black Phoenix clan may not have many effective methods for other types of true blood, the separation of Heavenly Phoenix blood has been under study for a long time. I'm at least confident with an eight-out-of-ten chance." The middle-aged woman spoke with dignified assurance. "With such confidence, the young lady, that's truly reassuring," the white-haired young man said, finally nodding in satisfaction. ...In another quiet chamber, the young woman in white robes, Ye Ying, sat cross-legged on a jade bed, both hands forming seals and her eyes slightly closed. Unexpectedly, a luminous blue aura, several feet in diameter, rotated slowly behind her head. Upon closer inspection, this aura was not only perfectly round but also featured waves of white flames flickering at its edge, reaching several inches high. At the very center of the aura, a translucent human silhouette sat in a similar posture—its appearance subtly reminiscent of Ye Ying herself, though scaled down several times over, with both eyes closed and hands forming the same seals. For some reason, Ye Ying's lips suddenly moved, revealing a faint, almost imperceptible smile of scorn, and at the same instant, the expression on the silhouette's face mirrored it perfectly, as if the two were one and the same. Such a phenomenon was truly extraordinary. In a corner of the quiet chamber, there were two small objects on a jade table. A small leopard, about the size of a wild cat, lay sprawled with its limbs spread out, appearing utterly shapeless and languid. Sitting atop the plush head of this leopard was a miniature monkey, only a few inches tall, with sleek, lustrous black fur and bright, alert eyes fixed steadily on Han Li, radiating a strong sense of vitality. Suddenly, Han Li paused, flipped his hand, and now held in his grasp a small vial and a pale white jade scroll. The vial bore ancient, intricate patterns, inscribed with three ancient characters that, upon closer inspection, clearly read "Mie Chen Dan." After gently tracing the vial with his fingers, Han Li exhaled softly and then had a sudden inspiration—by the time he looked again, the vial had vanished completely, leaving only the jade scroll. This scroll had been left behind by the mysterious monks who had visited him before he departed from Tianyuan City. Han Li held it in his hands for a moment, then suddenly pressed it gently against his forehead, immersing his consciousness into it. The jade scroll revealed an immense map, yet it appeared as though half of it was missing, with a single golden-lit dot pulsing at the edge where the map was absent. Although he had already examined it numerous times, Han Li could not help but scrutinize it once more, as if hoping to discover something hidden within. I really don't understand why Brother Jin Yue, after his emergence, has suddenly changed his original plan and insists on sending these several young disciples to the lands of the foreign clans. These young ones are among the very finest among the newly ascended cultivators. Others may not know, but you should be well aware that although these missions to gather intelligence from the foreign clans appear straightforward, they are actually extremely perilous. The forces dispatched by the immortal clan may seem cooperative on the surface, yet they might have their own hidden intentions. "As for the recent stirrings among the various clans, you should certainly be aware of the reasons," the Taoist replied, yet his expression grew slightly puzzled. "Indeed, I am well aware of this. Isn't it simply that a new celestial treasure—ranked among the top three on the Universal Immortal List—has recently appeared? The one they call the 'Celestial Sword of Cutting Spirits'!" Upon hearing the old monk's question, the Taoist felt a sudden sense of gravity settle upon him, his demeanor growing more serious.